Algeria announced Thursday that it is severing diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates, citing what it described as hostile conduct by the Gulf state, reported The Associated Press.
The decision was announced in a Foreign Ministry statement carried by Algerian state media, which referred to “provocative and hostile actions" and “regrettable and unjustified behavior."
“Having exhausted all the ways for preserving the bilateral relations, the Algerian government has decided, today, to sever diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates," the statement said, according to Algeria’s official APS news agency.
The UAE expressed hope that the move would not be permanent. In a statement, its Foreign Ministry said it hoped Algeria’s decision would ultimately prove temporary and that the two countries’ “fraternal ties" could be preserved.
Algeria has previously taken similar action against a regional rival. In 2021, it severed diplomatic relations with neighboring Morocco, accusing Rabat of “hostile actions." The decision followed Morocco’s normalization of relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords.
Relations between Algeria and Morocco have been strained for decades, with Algeria supporting the Polisario movement, which seeks independence for Western Sahara.
In 2023, a former Algerian minister claimed that Tunisia is planning to normalize ties with Israel, though there have been no indications that Tunisia and Israel are close to normalizing ties.