Algeria cuts its diplomatic relations with the UAE and closes its airspace to its planes

Algeria announced the severing of its diplomatic relations with the UAE, according to what state television reported, after years of tension between the two countries, especially with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune accusing Abu Dhabi of interfering in his country’s internal affairs.

Algerian television broadcast urgent news today, Thursday (September 10, 2026), stating, “Algeria decides to sever its diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates after exhausting all means necessary to maintain bilateral relations.”

Subsequently, the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs published a statement in which it explained that “after exhausting all means to maintain bilateral relations, the Algerian government decided, today, to sever diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates.”

The statement indicated that the Emirati ambassador was received on Thursday at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "where he was officially informed of the content of this decision. He was also informed that he was given a 48-hour period to comply with this decision."

Tebboune: The UAE “has a very negative impact”

He added, "In the face of the increasing provocative or hostile behavior issued by the United Arab Emirates, Algeria has shown a great deal of self-restraint and a high sense of responsibility, and, out of the spirit of full respect for the principles governing relations between countries, has spared no effort in drawing the attention of the Emirati side and warning it of the dire consequences that may result from its unfortunate and unjustified behaviour."

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune had indicated the possibility of severing relations with Abu Dhabi on several occasions, and he even used the term “statelet” when talking about the UAE. He said in his last media statement in July, "We are talking about a statelet because its impact is very negative and we have evidence. Wherever they put their feet, blood will be shed," adding, "We want them to stay away from us so that blood does not flow here."

Algerian media close to the authorities accuse Abu Dhabi of interfering in the internal affairs of Algeria and its neighbors in Libya and the African coast.

Closing airspace to UAE aircraft

Algeria also decided to “close its airspace, starting on September 11, to all civil and military numbered aircraft in the United Arab Emirates, coming and going,” according to a statement by the Algerian Ministry of Defense.

The statement added: “This decision excludes Emirati civil commercial flights coming and going to and from Houari Boumediene International Airport in Algiers, which will continue until the end of this year.” Contract end date.

The UAE hopes that Algeria’s decision will be “temporary”

For its part, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, in a statement published on its account on the She added: "The UAE hopes that this (Algerian) decision will be temporary, in a way that preserves the fraternal ties between the two brotherly peoples."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed "the UAE's appreciation for the brotherly Algerian people, its pride in the ties that unite the two peoples, especially the members of the Algerian community residing in the country and visitors, and its keenness to continue and strengthen these ties and common interests."

Earlier, the diplomatic advisor to the President of the Emirates, Anwar Gargash, wrote on X, saying, “Diplomatic relations are managed with reason, communication, and clarity of interests, not with riddles and signals that need to be decoded, and they cannot be held hostage to internal tension or an inability to explain interests and set priorities.”

Gargash did not mention Algeria by name and did not link his comments to the decision issued by Algeria, but he said in the post on Anything other than that is nothing but an expression of a deficiency in vision and management.”

Edited by: Arif Jabo