Algeria Severs Diplomatic Relations with the United Arab Emirates

Algeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Thursday, September 10, 2026, the severance of diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates, after summoning Abu Dhabi's ambassador in Algiers to formally notify him of the decision, giving him a 48-hour deadline to leave Algerian territory.

The reasons behind the decision

The Algerian ministry's statement justified the move by citing "repeated provocative and hostile actions" by the Emirati side, saying Algeria had shown "great restraint" and exhausted every possible avenue to preserve bilateral relations before reaching this decision, after repeatedly warning Abu Dhabi of the "serious consequences" of its conduct. The statement did not detail specific incidents behind the escalation, and no official reaction from the UAE had been made public at the time of publication.

Part of a longer-running escalation

The decision comes as Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has repeatedly accused the UAE of pursuing a "destabilization policy" in several countries across the region. It also follows a process of rising tensions that began in February 2026, when Algeria launched procedures to end the air services agreement it signed with the UAE in 2013. Notably, the rupture comes as Algeria's own relations with Morocco remain severed since 2021.

Why it matters

The break with the UAE, one of the region's leading hubs for investment and economic influence, marks a significant move that highlights the widening diplomatic front on which Algeria now finds itself engaged with several regional actors at once. Observers are now watching for any potential freeze on Emirati projects and investments in Algeria, with no official signal so far on the fate of existing economic agreements between the two countries.