Key Takeaways
- Algeria has severed diplomatic relations with the UAE.
- The decision follows a series of 'provocative or hostile' actions by Abu Dhabi.
- The UAE ambassador was summoned and given 48 hours to comply.
Algeria has announced the severance of diplomatic ties with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) following a series of 'provocative or hostile' actions by Abu Dhabi, according to Algerian state media.
The Algerian foreign ministry stated that the UAE's actions had reached a point where they could no longer be considered acceptable or tolerable, and that all means of preserving bilateral relations had been exhausted.
The UAE ambassador was summoned to the ministry and informed of the decision, with a 48-hour deadline to comply, the foreign ministry said.
Relations between Algeria and the UAE have been strained in recent years, with Algerian media outlets sharply criticising the UAE and accusing it of seeking to sow regional discord.
Algeria opposes normalisation with Israel, while the UAE and Algeria’s regional rival Morocco established diplomatic ties with Israel under the US-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020.
The two countries are also on opposing sides of the decades-old Western Sahara dispute, with the UAE supporting Morocco’s claim to sovereignty over the territory, while Algeria backs the Polisario Front, which seeks an independent Western Sahara.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune described ties with all Gulf states except one as 'brotherly', while accusing the unnamed country of meddling in Algeria's internal affairs and seeking to destabilise it.
In February, Algeria began the process of cancelling an air services agreement with the UAE that was signed in Abu Dhabi in May 2013.
