Egypt bans foreign ownership of land in Sinai

Defence minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi\'s new law excludes Rafah Egyptian Minister of Defence, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has issued a decree banning the ownership and any form of utilisation of lands in areas of strategic military importance. The decree number 203 for 2012 , which was published in the official gazette, included areas around the eastern border of Egypt for a distance of five miles west, except the city of Rafah.
It also prohibits possession, utilisation or rent in territories and property located in the islands in the Red Sea, natural reserves and archaeological sites.
Article II of the decree stated that only Egyptian citizens whose parents are also Egyptian can own land in the Sinai Peninsula. Legal personnel can also own land in Sinai but only if their capital belongs to Egyptian citizens, who bear no other nationality.
Possession and utilisation is also allowed in areas of developing tourism, located in the desert lands for establishing \"tourist, commercial and agricultural projects\" as well as quarries and construction.
Non-Egyptians are not allowed to stay or own lands in region C. Egyptians are allowed to own land only inside the cordons of  cities and villages of region C, while lands outside these cordons can be granted the right to use only,
Article III prohibits non-Egyptian citizens from owning any land or buildings in Sinai with respect to the provisions of law number 14 of 2012. The law states that non-Egyptians can own the buildings without owning the land and they also have the right to use the buildings for residence for 50 years maximum in accordance with provisions of the law.
Article IV of the decree states the need to obtain the approval of both the Defence and Interior Ministries, as well as the General Intelligence Service (GIS) before exercising the right to use or own buildings.