Algeria has cut diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), accusing Abu Dhabi of taking what it described as “provocative or hostile” actions.
Algeria did not specify which actions led to the decision but said it had exhausted all options to preserve relations between the two countries.
The Algerian foreign ministry said that the UAE’s actions had reached a point where they could no longer be accepted or tolerated. It also said the country had “exhausted all means of preserving bilateral relations.”
The UAE said that it hoped Algeria’s decision would be temporary and maintained that it remained committed to preserving ties between the two countries and their shared interests.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) affirms the UAE’s appreciation of the brotherly Algerian people and its pride in the bonds that unite the two peoples, particularly through the Algerian community residing in the UAE and Algerian visitors,” the UAE foreign ministry said.
Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, said on X that diplomatic relations should be based on “rationality, communication and clarity of interests” rather than “riddles and signals that require decoding”.
Gargash did not directly mention Algeria but said that effective diplomacy required clear positions and the management of disagreements.
Following the decision, Algeria will also close its airspace to UAE-registered civilian and military aircraft from Friday, Ennahar TV reported, citing the Algerian defence ministry.
The ban will not apply to UAE commercial flights operating to and from Algiers until the end of 2026, when the current contract expires. Algeria also summoned the UAE ambassador to its foreign ministry, informed him of the decision and gave him 48 hours to comply.
Relations between Algeria and the UAE have faced tensions in recent years, with Algerian media outlets accusing Abu Dhabi of trying to create divisions in the region.
The two countries also have different positions on several regional issues. Algeria opposes normalisation with Israel, while the UAE established diplomatic ties with Israel under the US-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020.
Algeria and the UAE also back opposing sides in the Western Sahara dispute. The UAE supports Morocco’s claim to sovereignty over the territory, while Algeria supports the Polisario Front, which seeks an independent Western Sahara.
Their interests have also increasingly overlapped in the Sahel, where the UAE has expanded ties with several governments while Algeria has faced strained relations with some of its southern neighbours following a series of military coups.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said last year that his country had warm relations with all Gulf states except one, in an apparent reference to the UAE. He accused the unnamed country of interfering in Algeria’s internal affairs and seeking to destabilise it.
In February, Algeria also began the process of cancelling an air services agreement with the UAE that was signed in Abu Dhabi in May 2013.
