Algeria announced the severance of diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates due to multiple conflicts, including the UAE's restoration of relations with Israel and the Western Sahara territorial dispute, and its support for Morocco's claims.
Foreign news agencies reported on Thursday, 10 Sep 2026 GMT+7, that the Algerian government announced it was cutting diplomatic ties with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), citing continuous "provocative and hostile" actions from Abu Dhabi. It also ordered the UAE ambassador to leave the country within 48 hours.
Furthermore, Algeria plans to close its airspace to both civilian and military UAE aircraft starting Friday, except for existing commercial flights which will be exempt until the end of 2026.
A major source of conflict is Algeria's strong opposition to the normalization of relations with Israel, while the UAE and Morocco—Algeria's regional rival—have reestablished diplomatic ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords, pushed by Donald Trump since 2020.
There is also the long-standing Western Sahara territorial dispute, where the UAE supports Morocco's sovereignty claims, whereas Algeria backs the Polisario Front, which seeks independence for the territory.
The UAE has also been working to expand its influence and partnerships in the Sahel region (between the northern Sahara Desert and the savanna grasslands), while Algeria faces tensions with its southern neighbors following multiple coups.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has sharply criticized the UAE in the media, calling it a "tiny state" that causes unrest in the region and stating, "Wherever they step, blood will flow."
"We want them to stay away to prevent bloodshed in our country," the Algerian leader said in July, adding that if Algeria had not tried to avoid deepening divisions in the Arab world, the diplomatic break would have happened much earlier.
Meanwhile, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement expressing hope that this diplomatic break would be only temporary, affirming it values and takes pride in its relations with the Algerian people.
Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, posted that diplomatic relations should be based on "reason, communication, and clarity of interests" rather than puzzles or signals that require interpretation.
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Source:aljazeera