evidence: The dispute is rooted in the former colonial administration of the area. When the United Kingdom administrated the area, it set the political boundary between the two states at 22°N latitude under the Anglo-Egyptian Agreement for Sudan in 1899 which ensured Egyptian claim to the Hala’ib Triangle. In 1902, the British drew a new administrative border between the two which gave Egypt a piece of land known as Bir Tawil and Sudan the Hala’ib Triangle. [...] Development and infrastructure are a strategy used to increasingly legitimize or reinforce claims over contested territory all over the world. In 2017, Egypt allocated $60 million for the development and reconstruction of the Hala’ib Triangle. Which not only indicates a step towards reinforcing their grip on the land but a direction of Egyptian policy under el-Sisi. At the same time, United Arab Emirates (UAE) entities invested in mining in the area were cooperating with mining companies controlled by the Egyptian army. While Egyptian state-owned companies are not allowed to invest in the region, it seemed to be a cooperation between the UAE and Egypt or elements of the two. UAE companies were granted the concessions while Egypt provided security and stability, and in return cooperated on the mining. The Hala’ib Triangle is particularly rich in manganese, which is essential to iron and steel production which are industries Egypt is heavily invested in while UAE has a large and growing steel demand.