Two Muslim Nations Suddenly Hostile, Officially Sever Ties
Algeria suddenly severed diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Thursday after accusing Abu Dhabi of a series of actions deemed “provocative or hostile”. Algeria did not specify the actions that triggered the decision.
The Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the step was taken after all efforts to maintain bilateral relations were deemed no longer productive. “The UAE’s actions have reached a point that can no longer be accepted or tolerated,” the ministry stated, as quoted by Reuters on Friday.
Tensions between Algeria and the UAE have escalated in recent years. Algerian media have repeatedly criticised Abu Dhabi, accusing it of attempting to incite division in the region.
On one occasion last year, Algerian President Abdelmadjeed Tebboune also mentioned that relations with Gulf countries remained strained, though he noted an exception for one country, implicitly referring to the UAE.
Meanwhile, the UAE stated its hope that the decision is only temporary. The nation emphasised its continued commitment to maintaining people-to-people ties and shared interests between the two countries.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasises the UAE’s appreciation for the brotherly Algerian people and its pride in the bonds that unite both nations,” the ministry said.
Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE President, responded via the X platform, emphasising the importance of communication in diplomacy. According to him, international relations should be built on “rationality, communication, and clarity of interest,” rather than “riddles and signals that require interpretation.”
The conflict has also spread to the aviation sector. Algeria will close its airspace to all civil and military aircraft registered in the UAE starting this Friday, although UAE commercial flights to and from Algiers will be exempted until the end of 2026, when current contracts expire.
Is Israel to blame?
The feud between the two nations is inseparable from differing positions on several regional issues. Algeria opposes the normalisation of relations with Israel, whereas the UAE and Morocco have established diplomatic ties with Israel through the Abraham Accords in 2020.
Furthermore, there is the issue of the status of Western Sahara. The UAE supports Morocco’s claims, while Algeria supports the Polisario Front.
Competing interests are also becoming more apparent in the Sahel region, as the UAE expands its relations with several local governments, while Algeria’s relations with some of its southern neighbours have deteriorated following a series of military coups. Last February, Algeria even began the process of cancelling a flight services agreement with the UAE that was previously signed in May 2013.