Algeria Severes Diplomatic Ties With UAE Over 'Hostile Actions'

Algeria abruptly severed diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, citing a series of "provocative and hostile" actions by Abu Dhabi without specifying the exact reasons. The Algerian Foreign Ministry stated that the UAE's actions had reached a point where they could no longer be considered acceptable or tolerable, and that Algeria had "exhausted all means to preserve bilateral relations."

The UAE's ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Ministry, informed of the decision, and given 48 hours to comply, likely meaning he must leave the country. In response, Anwar Gargash, diplomatic advisor to the UAE president, posted on X that diplomatic relations should be based on "rationality, communication, and clarity of interests," not "riddles and hints that require deciphering." Gargash did not explicitly mention Algeria or directly link his remarks to the decision, but emphasized that successful diplomacy depends on clear positions and effective management of interests and disagreements.

Relations between the two nations have been increasingly strained in recent years, with Algerian media outlets sharply criticizing the UAE and accusing it of attempting to sow regional division. Key points of contention include Algeria's opposition to normalization with Israel, while the UAE and Morocco, Algeria's regional rival, established diplomatic ties with Israel under the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020.

The two countries also find themselves on opposing sides of the decades-long Western Sahara conflict. The UAE supports Morocco's sovereignty claim over the territory, where it maintains a consulate, while Algeria backs the Polisario Front, which seeks independence for Western Sahara. Their interests also intersect in the Sahel region, where the UAE has expanded its ties with several governments, while Algeria's relations with some of its southern neighbors have become tense following a series of military coups.

Last year, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune stated that his country's relations with all Gulf states were warm, except for one, a clear allusion to the UAE. He described relations with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar as "brotherly," while accusing the unnamed country of interfering in Algeria's internal affairs and attempting to destabilize it. In February, Algeria began the process of canceling an air services agreement with the UAE, originally signed in Abu Dhabi in May 2013.