Algeria Cuts Ties with UAE

Algeria has cut its diplomatic ties with the UAE. The country said this was due to what it called provocative and hostile actions. This decision came despite several warnings over the years.

On Thursday, Algeria's foreign ministry made the announcement. This follows a long-standing diplomatic disagreement between the two nations on various issues.

Al Jazeera reported, citing Ennahar TV, that Algeria will close its airspace to all UAE-registered civilian and military flights starting Friday. However, UAE commercial flights to and from Algiers will still be allowed until the current contract ends in 2026.

The foreign ministry also revealed that it summoned the UAE ambassador. Algeria gave them 48 hours to comply with the new decision.

Algeria explained that it decided to cut ties because it had “exhausted all means of preserving bilateral relations.”

In response, the UAE expressed hope that Algeria's decision would be “temporary.” The UAE’s foreign ministry said it values its relations with all countries. It emphasized its commitment to strengthening these ties for mutual interests, understanding, cooperation, and prosperity.

One of the main reasons for the tension between Algeria and the UAE is their different views on regional issues. This includes how to handle relations with Israel. The UAE established ties with Israel in 2020 after a deal brokered by former US President Donald Trump.

This deal surprised Palestinian leaders and led to the recall of the Palestinian ambassador to the UAE. A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called the deal “treason.”

Last year, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune stated that Algeria will not normalize relations with Israel until a Palestinian state is established. He made it clear that Algeria’s “priority is the establishment of a Palestinian state.”

Algeria is also unhappy with the UAE’s increasing influence in the Sahel region. Its relations with neighboring countries in the south have worsened recently.

The diplomatic tensions between Algeria and Mali, and later Niger and Burkina Faso, increased after military juntas took over. Insecurity in the Sahel is a major issue contributing to these tensions.

In 2024, Mali ended the Algiers Accord, which was meant to bring peace between the Malian government and Tuareg armed groups in the north. This move hurt relations between Bamako and Algiers.

Mali accused Algeria of interfering in its affairs. Algeria, in turn, raised concerns about the growing instability near their border. The conflict escalated after a Malian drone destroyed Algerian trucks near the border in March. Two weeks later, Algeria shot down a Malian armed drone over Tin Zaoutine, a sensitive area.

Both countries claimed the drone was in their airspace. Mali was angered by Algeria’s actions and withdrew from the Comité d’Etat Major Opérationnel Conjoint (CEMOC), a regional counterterrorism group based in Algeria. The other two AES states also recalled their ambassadors from Algiers.

Shortly after this, Algeria and Mali closed their airspace to each other’s flights. While tensions rose between Algeria and the AES states, the UAE was working to expand its influence in the central Sahel region. Dubai has been trying to engage more deeply with the three states.

Algiers accused the UAE of meddling in its affairs and causing instability. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has often referred to the UAE as a “micro-state” or “statelet” that seeks to increase tensions in the region.

In a televised interview in July, he said the UAE has a “very negative impact” wherever it goes, stating, “We want them to stay away, so that blood does not flow in our country.”

Both countries also disagree on Western Sahara, a contested area in North Africa. The UAE backs Morocco’s claim to the territory, while Algeria supports the Polisario Front, which seeks an independent state.