Algeria severed diplomatic ties with the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, accusing the Gulf state of “provocative and hostile acts” and ordering the closure of its airspace to UAE flights from Friday.

The Algerian Defense Ministry said commercial flights to and from Algiers would, however, be allowed to continue until the end of 2026.

The move marks a sharp deterioration in relations between the two countries, which have been strained for years over the UAE’s expanding influence in northern and western Africa.

The Algerian Foreign Ministry said the decision was taken “after exhausting all avenues to preserve bilateral relations” with the UAE.

It accused Abu Dhabi of having “persisted in its actions, reaching a point where they could no longer be considered acceptable or tolerable.”

Algiers said it had given the UAE’s ambassador 48 hours to comply with the decision to sever diplomatic ties.

The UAE said it hoped the measure would be temporary.

“The UAE expresses hope that this decision will be temporary, in a manner that preserves the fraternal ties between the two brotherly peoples,” the Emirati Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said it “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.”