Algeria Cuts Diplomatic Ties with UAE Amid Rising Tensions

The Algerian Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday the decision to cut diplomatic ties with the UAE, stating that the UAE's actions had reached an unacceptable level. The UAE expressed hope that the severance would be temporary and emphasized its commitment to maintaining ties between the peoples of both nations.

Following the announcement, Algeria will close its airspace to all UAE-registered civilian and military aircraft starting Friday, although UAE commercial flights to and from Algiers will be exempt from this ban until the expiration of an existing contract in 2026. The UAE ambassador was summoned and given 48 hours to comply with the decision.

Relations between Algeria and the UAE have deteriorated in recent years, with Algeria opposing UAE's normalization with Israel and supporting the Polisario Front in the Western Sahara dispute, while the UAE backs Morocco's claims over the territory. Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune previously indicated strained relations with Gulf states, singling out the UAE for interference in Algeria's internal affairs.