ALGIERS: Algeria has formally severed diplomatic ties with the United Arab Emirates after years of growing tensions and disagreements between the two countries.
Algeria accused Abu Dhabi of pursuing “hostile acts” and ordered the Emirati ambassador to leave the country within 48 hours.
The UAE expressed regret over the decision and called for relations to be based on wisdom, communication and transparency.
Algeria’s state television said the government had taken the decision after exhausting all efforts to maintain bilateral relations.
“Algeria has decided to sever diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates after all possible efforts to maintain bilateral ties failed,” the statement said.
Algeria’s Foreign Ministry accused the UAE of “hostile actions” but did not provide details.
It said Algeria had repeatedly warned the Emirati side about the consequences of what it described as “unacceptable and unjustifiable” conduct.
Algeria Orders UAE Ambassador to Leave within 48 Hours
Algeria summoned Emirati Ambassador Yousef Saif Khamis Al Ali and informed him of the decision.
It gave him 48 hours to leave the country.
Algeria also announced that it would close its airspace to Emirati aircraft from Friday. Commercial flights to and from Algeria will remain exempt until the end of the year.
Algeria had already begun cancelling a 2013 air services agreement with the UAE in February. The move was seen as an early sign of the deepening dispute.
UAE Calls for Clarity
UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash responded shortly after Algeria announced the decision.
Without directly naming Algeria, Gargash said diplomatic relations should be based on “wisdom, communication and transparency of interests” rather than attempts to create confusion.
“Ambiguity is not a policy, and noise cannot replace a lack of insight,” he said.
He added that successful diplomacy requires clear positions and proper management of national interests.
The UAE Foreign Ministry later said it hoped Algeria’s decision would prove temporary.
It also said the UAE respected the Algerian people and valued its strong ties with Algerian nationals living in the country.
Algeria’s President Has Criticised UAE Policies
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has rarely named the UAE directly. However, analysts have linked some of his past remarks to Abu Dhabi.
Tebboune has repeatedly referred to a “micro-state” that he accused of trying to destabilise Libya, Mali and Sudan.
In a television interview in July, he said the unnamed state was having an “extremely negative impact” on the region.
“Wherever it sets foot, there is bloodshed,” he said.
“We want them to stay away from our country so that there is no bloodshed here,” Tebboune added.
He said Algeria could have severed ties much earlier but had exercised patience to avoid deepening divisions in the region.
Israel and Western Sahara Among Key Disputes
The dispute between Algeria and the UAE reflects wider differences over regional policy.
One major issue is the UAE’s relations with Israel. Algeria strongly opposes normalisation with Israel, while the UAE established diplomatic and economic ties with Israel in 2020 under the Abraham Accords.
Western Sahara is another major point of disagreement.
The UAE supports Morocco’s claim over the disputed territory. Algeria, meanwhile, backs the Polisario Front, which seeks independence for Western Sahara.
UAE Faces Wider Regional Tensions
The dispute with Algeria is not the UAE’s only recent diplomatic challenge.
In January, Somalia cancelled agreements with the UAE covering ports and defence cooperation. Mogadishu accused Abu Dhabi of undermining its sovereignty.
Sudan’s government has also repeatedly accused the UAE of supporting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) during the country’s civil war.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE have also faced growing differences over Yemen and other regional policies.
The breakdown in Algeria-UAE relations adds another layer to the widening geopolitical divisions across North Africa and the Middle East.
