After Morocco, Algeria closes its airspace to Emirati planes

Tensions are escalating once more between Algeria and the United Arab Emirates. On Saturday, February 7, the Algerian government announced the termination of its air agreement with Abu Dhabi, originally signed on May 13, 2013, and in effect since 2014, according to the APS news agency. This decision has been formally communicated to the UAE and the Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Montreal.

With the termination of this agreement, Algerian airspace will be closed to Emirati airlines. This move will directly impact thousands of Algerians living in the UAE, who will now need to transit through Qatar or Bahrain to return home.

This latest escalation in Algiers-Abu Dhabi relations follows an anti-Emirati media campaign. Earlier this year, the daily newspaper El Khabar accused Abu Dhabi of «supporting elements hostile to national unity and intervening with France to facilitate their settlement on its territory, constituting a blatant violation of Algerian sovereignty».

The newspaper, known for its close ties to security circles, reported that «official information indicates ongoing investigations in France regarding the financing of the terrorist movement (MAK)». These accusations surfaced two weeks after the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie declared the «Kabyle State» on December 14, 2025, in Paris.

Until now, the Algerian regime has primarily accused Morocco and Israel of supporting and financing the MAK. This accusation was notably made by former Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra in August 2021 to justify breaking diplomatic ties with Rabat.

In April 2024, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune issued stern warnings to the UAE. «If you seek to engage with us as you do with others, you are mistaken. We have 5.63 million martyrs who died for this country. Those who wish to approach us should do so,» he declared. He also remarked: «Wherever there are conflicts, the money of this State is present, in Mali, Libya, and Sudan.»

It's worth noting that Algeria had previously closed its airspace to Moroccan civilian and military aircraft in September 2021.