Algeria UAE ties took a sharp turn on Thursday when Algeria suddenly cut all diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates. The Algerian foreign ministry said Abu Dhabi had carried out a series of provocative or hostile actions that could no longer be tolerated. Officials added that every possible way to keep the relationship alive had already been tried and exhausted.
The UAE responded later the same day. Its foreign ministry said it hoped the break would only be temporary. Abu Dhabi still values the friendship between the two peoples and wants to protect shared interests, the statement noted. Anwar Gargash, a senior adviser to the UAE president, posted on X that real diplomacy needs clear talk and honest handling of differences, not mixed signals.
Tensions between the two nations have been building for years. Algerian media regularly accuse the UAE of trying to create trouble across the region. The countries also stand on opposite sides of several key issues. Algeria rejects any normalisation with Israel, while the UAE and Algeria’s neighbour Morocco both established ties with Israel through the Abraham Accords. On the Western Sahara question, the UAE backs Morocco’s claim and even opened a consulate there. Algeria supports the Polisario Front’s push for independence.
Their interests also clash in the Sahel. The UAE has grown closer to several governments in the area, while Algeria’s ties with some southern neighbours have cooled after recent military coups. Last year Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune described relations with every Gulf state as warm except one, a clear jab at the UAE. He accused that country of meddling in Algeria’s internal affairs.
In February Algeria started cancelling an air services deal signed with the UAE in 2013. On Thursday the UAE ambassador was called to the foreign ministry, told of the decision, and given 48 hours to leave. The move marks one of the most serious diplomatic ruptures in the region in recent times. Both sides now face an uncertain period as the break settles in.
