Algeria cuts diplomatic ties with the UAE

On Thursday, Algeria severed diplomatic ties with the United Arab Emirates, citing a series of "provocative or hostile" actions by Abu Dhabi. The UAE's foreign ministry stated the decision was temporary, but affirmed its commitment to preserving ties between the two countries' peoples and shared interests. The Algerian foreign ministry affirmed the UAE's appreciation for Algerian people and the bonds between the two nations, but deemed the UAE's actions unacceptable and exhausted all means of preserving bilateral relations.

Relations between the two countries have deteriorated in recent years, with Algerian media accusing the UAE of seeking to sow regional discord. The UAE's diplomatic adviser said diplomatic relations should be based on rationality, communication, and clarity of interests, rather than riddles and signals. Following the decision, Algeria will close its airspace to all UAE-registered civilian and military aircraft from Friday, with UAE commercial flights to and from Algiers exempt until the end of 2026.

The UAE ambassador was summoned to Algeria's foreign ministry and given 48 hours to comply. Algeria and the UAE have differing positions on regional issues, including opposition to Israel normalisation, the Western Sahara dispute, and their differing support for the Sahel region. Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune recently described his country's relations with all Gulf states as warm except for one, likely referring to the UAE. The two countries' air services agreement, signed in May 2013, is being cancelled.