CAIRO: The Egyptian government has declared March 19 a national holiday to commemorate the return of Taba to Egyptian sovereignty in 1989 after being occupied by Israel.
Schools, universities and other educational institutions will close on that day, but government entities will remain open.
Cabinet spokesman Magdi Radi said that March 19 is the day the Egyptian flag was hoisted on Taba after its return through an international arbitration committee.
March 19 also marks the annual day for the governorate of South Sinai.
After Israel had annexed Sinai in 1967 war, Egypt regained it in 1982 as a result of the Camp David Accords, but Taba, which is the northern most point of Sinai, remained under Israeli control.
A five-man international arbitration commission was formed to determine the fate of Taba. It consisted of an Egyptian, an Israeli and three neutral members. The commission ruled in Egypt’s favor in 1988 and Taba was returned the following year.
Taba was the site of a bombing in 2004 which killed 34 people, many of them Israelis. This was the beginning of a bombing campaign in Sinai which also targeted Sharm El-Sheikh and Dahab.
