Algeria will close its airspace to all United Arab Emirates-registered civilian and military aircraft from Friday, the North African nation announced Thursday following a decision to sever diplomatic relations with the Gulf country.
UAE commercial flights to and from Algiers will be exempt from the ban until the end of 2026, when the current contract expires, its Defense Ministry said.
The UAE, meanwhile, later Thursday said it hoped Algeria's decision to cut diplomatic relations was temporary.
Algeria accused Abu Dhabi of interfering in national and regional affairs and said it was giving the UAE ambassador 48 hours "to comply with the decision."
In an official statement, Algiers accused the Gulf country of "provocative and hostile acts," but it remained unclear what triggered the rupture.
