UAE Responds to Algeria Severing Diplomatic Ties, Expresses Hope Decision Will Be Temporary

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on September 10 expressing hope that Algeria's decision to sever diplomatic ties would be temporary, according to The National, Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya, and Reuters. The ministry affirmed the UAE's appreciation for the 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, and stressed that the UAE remains committed to preserving and strengthening these ties and shared interests. The statement followed Algeria's announcement on September 10 that it was cutting all diplomatic relations with the UAE and giving the UAE ambassador in Algiers 48 hours to leave, citing a series of provocative or hostile actions without specifying details. Algeria also announced it would close its airspace to all UAE-registered civilian and military aircraft from midnight September 11, with the exception of UAE commercial flights to and from Algiers, which are exempt until the end of 2026 when the current contract expires. Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, wrote on X that diplomatic relations should be based on rationality, communication and clarity of interests rather than riddles and signals that require decoding, without explicitly naming Algeria. Relations between the two countries have been strained in recent years due to differing positions on several regional issues. Algeria opposes normalisation with Israel, while the UAE established diplomatic ties with Israel under the US-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020. The two countries are also on opposing sides of the Western Sahara dispute, with the UAE supporting Morocco's claim to sovereignty over the territory and Algeria backing the Polisario Front. Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has repeatedly accused the UAE of interfering in Algerian and regional affairs, particularly in the Sahel where the UAE has expanded ties with several governments. The ruptur