ISLAMABAD – Algeria dramatically severed diplomatic ties with United Arab Emirates, accusing Abu Dhabi of repeated “provocative and hostile” actions after years of escalating disputes over Western Sahara, Israel, the Sahel and alleged interference in Algerian affairs.
The North African nation ended diplomatic ties with Abu Dhabi amif escalation that threatens to reshape alliances across North Africa and the wider Arab world. Algerian Foreign Ministry announced that its efforts to preserve relations had been exhausted. The UAE ambassador was summoned, informed of the decision and given 48 hours to leave.
UAE had not immediately issued a detailed response. The rupture caps years of increasingly bitter disagreements between the two countries, with disputes spanning Western Sahara, Israel, Morocco, Libya, the Sahel and alleged interference in Algeria’s internal affairs.
The diplomatic rupture is particularly striking because Algeria and the UAE were once close partners. Algeria was among the first Arab states to recognize the UAE after the federation was created in 1971. Diplomatic relations were established during the early 1970s, and the two countries built ties around their shared Arab and Islamic identity.
For decades, cooperation flourished. A joint ministerial committee established in 1984 helped coordinate bilateral relations, while the two sides pursued agreements covering trade, investment, energy, education and industry. Emirati companies invested in Algeria, including in infrastructure and port-related projects, and high-level economic and political exchanges continued into the 2010s.
The relationship was especially warm during the presidency of Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who maintained personal links with Emirati leaders. But that era of cooperation has now given way to open diplomatic confrontation.
At the heart of the dispute lies one of North Africa’s most entrenched conflicts. Algeria backs Polisario Front and its demand for an independent Western Sahara. Morocco claims sovereignty over the territory, and the UAE has increasingly supported Rabat’s position.
The confrontation intensified in November 2020, when the UAE opened a consulate in Laayoune, in the Moroccan-controlled part of Western Sahara. For Algiers, the move was far more than a diplomatic gesture. It was seen as a direct challenge to Algeria’s position on an issue central to its regional policy. UAE subsequently continued to support Morocco’s position, deepening the divide between Algiers and Abu Dhabi.
UAE’s normalization of relations with Israel in 2020 further widened the gulf. Abu Dhabi joined the US-backed Abraham Accords, establishing formal diplomatic relations with Israel. Morocco later followed, creating an increasingly interconnected relationship between Rabat, Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv. Algeria took the opposite position.
Algiers has consistently rejected normalization with Israel and maintained a strong pro-Palestinian foreign policy. The expanding cooperation among Israel, Morocco and the UAE consequently became another source of strategic anxiety for Algeria.
The rivalry also spilled southward. Sahel has become a critical arena for competing regional influence as political instability and military coups have transformed the security landscape. UAE expanded its relationships with governments and political actors across the region, while Algeria became increasingly concerned about instability along its southern frontier.
Relations between Algeria and some of its neighbours deteriorated following successive military takeovers, while Emirati influence continued to grow.
Libya added another layer to the confrontation. UAE has historically supported eastern Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar, while Algeria has pursued its own diplomatic and security approach toward the Libyan conflict. Algerian officials increasingly accused Abu Dhabi of supporting forces and policies that threatened Algerian interests.
The accusations eventually moved from the regional stage into Algeria itself. Algerian officials and media outlets accused the UAE of interfering in the country’s internal affairs, including alleged support for the Movement for the Autonomy of Kabylia (MAK), which Algeria has designated as a terrorist organization.
Other disputes reportedly involved intelligence incidents, visa restrictions, political interference and disagreements over bilateral commercial interests. Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune became increasingly vocal. Last year, he described Algeria’s relations with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar as “brotherly” while making a pointed exception for one Gulf state, widely understood to be the UAE.
He accused that country of attempting to interfere in Algeria’s affairs and destabilize the country.
On other occasions, Tebboune sharply criticized what he described as a small Gulf state whose involvement in regional conflicts had a deeply damaging effect, pointing to countries including Mali, Libya and Sudan.
In recent years, the relationship was becoming increasingly difficult to mend. Statements from Algerian authorities grew more severe, while reports of diplomatic disputes, alleged espionage incidents, visa measures and other confrontations added to the atmosphere of mistrust.
In February 2026, Algeria took practical step by beginning the process of cancelling a bilateral air-services agreement signed in Abu Dhabi in May 2013 and ratified the following year. It was another sign that the relationship was moving beyond political disagreement toward institutional separation.
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