Algeria has severed diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates after accusing Abu Dhabi of a series of “provocative or hostile” actions, marking a sharp escalation in years of worsening tensions between the two countries.
The Algerian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that the UAE’s actions had reached a point where they could no longer be considered acceptable or tolerable, adding that Algiers had “exhausted all means” of preserving bilateral relations.
The UAE ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Ministry, formally informed of the decision and given 48 hours to comply, according to the Algerian authorities.
Shortly after the announcement, Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, wrote on X that diplomatic relations should be based on “rationality, communication and clarity of interests” rather than “riddles and signals that require decoding.”
Gargash did not explicitly mention Algeria or directly link his remarks to Algiers’ decision.
Relations between Algeria and the UAE have deteriorated steadily in recent years, with Algerian media frequently accusing Abu Dhabi of interfering in regional affairs and seeking to destabilise Algeria.
The two countries have also found themselves on opposing sides of several major regional disputes.
Algeria strongly opposes normalisation with Israel, while the UAE established diplomatic relations with Israel under the US-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020. Morocco, Algeria’s main regional rival, also normalised relations with Israel the same year.
Western Sahara has been another major source of friction. The UAE supports Morocco’s claim of sovereignty over the disputed territory and operates a consulate there, while Algeria backs the Polisario Front, which seeks independence for Western Sahara.
Their strategic interests have also increasingly overlapped in the Sahel. The UAE has expanded relations with a number of governments across the region, while Algeria’s ties with some of its southern neighbours have deteriorated following a wave of military coups.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said last year that Algeria maintained warm relations with all Gulf countries except one, widely interpreted as a reference to the UAE.
Tebboune described Algeria’s ties with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar as “brotherly” while accusing the unnamed Gulf state of interfering in Algerian domestic affairs and attempting to destabilise the country.
Signs of the breakdown had already emerged earlier this year. In February, Algeria began cancelling an air services agreement with the UAE that had been in force since 2013.
The UAE Foreign Ministry had not issued an immediate formal response to Algeria’s decision.
