Algeria abruptly severed diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, giving it ambassador 48 hours to leave the country.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) affirms the UAE’s appreciation for the brotherly Algerian people and its pride in the bonds that unite the two peoples, particularly through the Algerian community residing in the UAE and Algerian visitors," the ministry said.
The UAE ambassador was summoned to Algeria's foreign ministry, informed of the decision and given 48 hours to comply, the ministry said.
It said the UAE's actions had reached a point where they could no longer be considered acceptable or tolerable and that it had "exhausted all means of preserving bilateral relations."
The Algerian foreign ministry said it had warned Abu Dhabi several times but the UAE "persisted in its actions, reaching a point where they could no longer be considered acceptable or tolerable".
"Algeria spared no effort to draw the Emirati side's attention to, and to warn it against, the dire consequences that could result from its regrettable and unjustified conduct," the ministry said.
The UAE hoped Algeria's decision to cut diplomatic ties would be temporary, its foreign ministry said in a statement later in the day, adding that Abu Dhabi remained committed to preserving ties between the two countries' peoples and shared interests.
Algeria said Thursday it was also closing its airspace to Emirati-registered civilian and military aircraft.
The Algerian defense ministry said the airspace ban would go into effect Friday, with the exception of commercial flights to and from Algiers airport, which would continue until the end of 2026.
Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, said on X that diplomatic relations should be based on "rationality, communication and clarity of interests", rather than "riddles and signals that require decoding".
Gargash, who did not explicitly mention Algeria or link his comments to its decision, said successful diplomacy depended on clear positions and the effective management of interests and disagreements.
In wake of Algiers’ position, the Emirati Foreign Ministry said: "The UAE reaffirms the importance it attaches to its relations with all countries and its commitment to developing and strengthening them to serve shared interests and promote understanding, cooperation and prosperity.
"The UAE expresses hope that this decision will be temporary, in a manner that preserves the fraternal ties between the two brotherly peoples."
"Furthermore, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) reaffirmed the UAE’s deep appreciation for the brotherly Algerian people and its pride in the strong ties connecting the two nations, particularly through the Algerian community residing in the UAE and Algerian visitors. The UAE remains committed to safeguarding and further strengthening these longstanding ties and mutual interests," it added.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has often referred to the UAE as a "micro-state" or "statelet" seeking to destabilize several countries in the region, citing Libya, Mali and Sudan.
Disagreements between Algeria and the UAE had deepened since Tebboune's first presidential term in 2020, particularly following the UAE's joining of the Abraham Accords and its normalization of relations with Israel.
When Tebboune was asked about that step, he said that he does not favor "this rush" toward normalization.
Algerian media outlets close to the authorities accuse the UAE of interfering in Algeria's internal affairs and in neighboring countries, especially in Libya and the African Sahel region.
The newspaper El Khabar had published a headline on its front page last July 19, which read: "Towards cutting diplomatic relations with the UAE."
Last year, Algerian state television denounced what it called a hostile media campaign after a UAE-based broadcaster aired an interview with historian Mohamed Amine Belghit, in which he described the Amazigh language as a "Zionist-French project."
Belghit was sentenced to five years in prison on charges of harming state symbols following his statements regarding Amazigh, which is a national language in Algeria, before benefiting from a presidential pardon at the end of 2025.
In February, Algeria began the process of cancelling an air services agreement with the UAE that was signed in Abu Dhabi in May 2013.
