The move came "in light of increasing provocative and hostile actions emanating" from the Persian Gulf state, Algeria's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday, without elaborating. The UAE ambassador was officially informed on the same day and given 48 hours to comply, it added.
The UAE hopes Algeria's decision "will be temporary, in a manner that preserves the fraternal ties between the two brotherly peoples," its Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The ministry "affirms the UAE's appreciation for the brotherly 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. The UAE remains committed to preserving and strengthening these ties and shared interests. "
Algeria, which fought a brutal war against colonial ruler France in the early 1960s, espouses a fiercely independent foreign policy and its local media has voiced frequent criticism of the UAE this year.
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It's a staunch opponent of the US-backed Abraham Accords that saw the UAE, Morocco and Bahrain agree to recognize the Jewish state in 2020. Algeria also supports the Polisario rebel group that seeks independence for Western Sahara, a disputed territory claimed by Morocco.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has previously hinted at tensions with the UAE in public speeches, while privately owned media outlets have been more explicit.
"There is little that unites Algiers and Abu Dhabi and a lengthening list of issues that divide them," said Hamish Kinnear, principal Middle East and North Africa analyst at risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft.
More broadly, "Algeria has been taking a bolder approach to its foreign relations," Kinnear said, citing Algiers' recent deployment of fighter jets to neighboring Niger amid a failed army mutiny.
Algeria in February said it was terminating a more than decade-old air-service agreement with the UAE, without providing any reason. That move would take effect from February 2027.
