Algeria severs UAE ties, shuts airspace; Abu Dhabi 'hopes it is temporary'

The United Arab Emirates has said it hopes Algeria’s decision to sever diplomatic relations with Abu Dhabi will be temporary as Algiers closes airspace to UAE-registered civilian and military aircraft from September 11.

“In light of the decision by the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria to sever relations with the United Arab Emirates, 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 foreign ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

“The UAE expresses hope that this decision will be temporary, in a manner that preserves the fraternal ties between the two brotherly peoples,” it added.

Abu Dhabi expressed appreciation for the Algerian people and highlighted ties between the two countries, particularly through the Algerian community residing in the UAE and Algerian visitors.

“The UAE remains committed to preserving and strengthening these ties and shared interests,” it added.

Algeria shuts airspace

Meanwhile, Algeria is set to close airspace to UAE-registered civilian and military aircraft from September 11, while commercial flights to and from Algiers will continue until the end of 2026, according to the country's defence ministry.

The defence ministry said the measure applies to all UAE-registered civilian and military aircraft flying to or from the country.

The decision exempts Emirati commercial civilian flights operating to and from Houari Boumediene International Airport in Algiers, which will be allowed to continue until the end of 2026, when the contract expires.

Algeria

Earlier, Algeria said it is severing diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates, saying it had exhausted "all means" to preserve bilateral ties.

The foreign ministry, in a statement carried by the official Algeria Press Service (APS) said Algiers exercised “a high degree of restraint” and “a strong sense of responsibility” in response to increasingly “provocative or hostile actions” by the UAE.

It added that the UAE ambassador was officially notified of the decision and has been given 48 hours to comply with the decision.

“Algeria spared no effort, in a spirit of full respect for the principles governing relations between states, to draw the UAE side’s attention and warn it of the serious consequences that could result from its regrettable and unjustified conduct,” the statement said.

“Despite these repeated warnings, the UAE continued with these actions, which reached a point where they could no longer be considered acceptable or tolerable within relations between two sovereign states or left without a response.”

“After exhausting all avenues to preserve bilateral relations, the Algerian government decided today to sever diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates,” the ministry said.

The UAE did not immediately comment on Algeria's decision.

In October last year, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said his country's relations with all Gulf states were warm except for one country, in a thinly veiled reference to the UAE.

He cited relations with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar as "brotherly".

At the time, Tebboune said a diplomatic break "would have happened long ago" had Algeria not sought to avoid "deepening divisions" in the Arab world.

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Source: TRT