Algeria cuts diplomatic ties with the UAE
Algeria has announced the immediate severance of diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates, accusing Abu Dhabi of engaging in a series of “provocative or hostile” actions without providing specific details about the alleged conduct.
The UAE, in response, expressed hope that the decision would only be temporary, saying it remained committed to maintaining ties between the peoples of the two countries and protecting their shared interests.
Relations between Algiers and Abu Dhabi have deteriorated in recent years, with Algerian media increasingly criticising the UAE and accusing it of contributing to instability and divisions in the region.
In a statement, the UAE’s Foreign Ministry reaffirmed its appreciation for the Algerian people and highlighted the longstanding ties between the two populations, including those involving Algerian nationals living in the UAE and visitors from Algeria.
Algeria’s Foreign Ministry said the UAE’s actions had crossed a line and could no longer be accepted or tolerated. It added that Algiers had exhausted all available efforts to preserve diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, said effective diplomatic relations should be built on rationality, communication and clearly defined interests rather than ambiguous messages.
Although he did not directly refer to Algeria, Gargash said successful diplomacy required clear positions and the ability to manage differences and competing interests effectively.
Following the diplomatic break, Algeria will reportedly close its airspace to civilian and military aircraft registered in the UAE from Friday, according to Algerian media citing the country’s defence ministry.
However, UAE commercial flights operating to and from Algiers will be allowed to continue until the end of 2026, when the existing air services agreement expires.
The UAE ambassador in Algiers was summoned to the Algerian Foreign Ministry and formally notified of the decision. He was given 48 hours to comply with the order.
Disagreements over regional issues
The diplomatic rift comes amid deep differences between Algeria and the UAE over a number of regional matters.
Algeria opposes normalisation of relations with Israel, while the UAE established diplomatic ties with Israel under the US-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020. Morocco, Algeria’s regional rival, also normalised relations with Israel under the same framework.
The two countries also support opposing positions in the long-running Western Sahara dispute. The UAE backs Morocco’s claim to sovereignty over the territory and has a consulate there, while Algeria supports the Polisario Front, which is seeking independence for Western Sahara.
Their interests have also increasingly overlapped in the Sahel. The UAE has strengthened relationships with several governments in the region, while Algeria’s ties with some of its southern neighbours have deteriorated following a series of military coups.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune had previously indicated that his country maintained cordial relations with all Gulf states except one, in an apparent reference to the UAE.
He described Algeria’s ties with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar as “brotherly”, while accusing the unnamed Gulf state of interfering in Algeria’s domestic affairs and attempting to destabilise the country.
In February, Algeria also began the process of terminating an air services agreement with the UAE that was signed in Abu Dhabi in May 2013.
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