Algeria cuts diplomatic ties with the UAE, citing “provocative and hostile” actions amid growing tensions over regional and security issues.
Algeria has severed diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates, accusing Abu Dhabi of engaging in “provocative and hostile” actions and saying it had exhausted all efforts to preserve bilateral ties.
The Algerian Foreign Ministry said Thursday that Algiers had repeatedly warned the UAE about the consequences of “regrettable and unjustified” conduct. Algeria’s state television announced the decision, while the UAE ambassador was summoned and given 48 hours to leave the country.
Algiers did not publicly identify specific incidents behind the decision. The rupture follows years of increasingly strained relations and comes after Algeria had already taken several steps to distance itself from Abu Dhabi.
According to Al Mayadeen’s correspondent in Algeria, tensions between the two countries have intensified since 2020, when the UAE formally normalized relations with the Israeli occupation under the US-brokered Abraham Accords.
Algeria has consistently rejected normalization with “Israel.” President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has repeatedly said that Algiers would not establish relations with “Israel” before the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Tensions escalated before diplomatic ruptureThe deterioration in ties had become increasingly visible in 2026.
In February, Algeria initiated procedures to terminate its air services agreement with the UAE, originally signed in 2013. The decision did not include an official explanation at the time. The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority said the agreement would remain in force during the legally required notice period and that flights would continue during that period.
Emirates subsequently said it would continue operating flights to Algeria during the notice period, with its final scheduled service from Algiers set for February 3, 2027.
The aviation dispute followed remarks by Tebboune in late 2025 in which he said Algeria maintained “brotherly” relations with Gulf states including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar, while referring to tensions with another Gulf country widely understood to be the UAE. Tebboune accused that country of interfering in Algeria’s internal affairs and seeking to destabilize the country.
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Western Sahara and regional influenceThe diplomatic rift also comes against the backdrop of competing Algerian and Emirati positions on regional affairs.
Algeria backs the Polisario Front and its demand for independence in Western Sahara, while the UAE has supported Morocco’s position on the disputed territory. The Western Sahara dispute remains a central fault line in North African politics and has contributed to Algeria’s broader rivalry with Morocco.
The two countries have also pursued competing interests across the Sahel, where Algeria has sought to maintain its influence amid growing regional instability and competition among external powers.
Al Mayadeen’s correspondent said Algiers views Abu Dhabi’s regional political maneuvering, including its dealings with organizations that Algeria designates as terrorist entities, as part of a broader challenge to Algerian national security.
As per our correspondent, the Algerian leadership also considers the expansion of the Israeli occupation’s regional presence, facilitated by certain Arab states, to pose a direct security concern.
A major breakThe decision marks a significant escalation in relations between the two countries. Reutershad stated that the rupture was the culmination of tensions over divergent positions on regional issues, including “Israel,” Western Sahara, the Sahel, and reported Emirati interference in Algerian affairs.
For Algiers, the break represents the latest move in a broader effort to defend what it considers its strategic and security interests in North Africa and the Sahel. For Abu Dhabi, it comes as the UAE continues to expand its political and economic partnerships across Africa, the West Asia, and Europe.
The UAE has not publicly announced a reciprocal break in relations in the immediate aftermath of Algeria’s decision.
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