Beijing, China - Sept 10, 2026 (CCTV Video News Agency - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Screenshot of announcement on website of Algeria's Ministry of National Defense

FILE: Algiers, Algeria - April 2026 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
2. Traffic, Algerian national flags

FILE: Algiers, Algeria - 2026 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
3. Traffic, Algerian national flags
4. Algerian national flag atop building
5. Various of traffic, Algerian national flags
6. Traffic, Algerian national flags

Algiers, Algeria - July 2, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
7. Various of building along street, traffic, cityscape

FILE: Dubai, UAE - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
8. Various of sea, city views, national flags of UAE

FILE: Abu Dhabi, UAE - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
9. Aerial shots of national flag of UAE, cityscape, skyscrapers
10. National flag of UAE

Algeria on Thursday announced that it will close its airspace to civilian and military aircraft registered in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from Friday, following the decision to sever diplomatic relations with the UAE.

Algeria's Ministry of National Defense said in a statement that commercial civilian flights operating between the UAE and Houari Boumediene International Airport in Algiers are exempt, and will be permitted to continue until the end of 2026, when the contract expires.

Algeria announced earlier Thursday that it would sever diplomatic relations with the UAE after "exhausting all avenues" to preserve their ties.

Citing a foreign ministry statement, the official state news agency Algeria Press Service (APS) said Algeria had shown "great restraint and a high sense of responsibility" in response to what it described as increasingly "provocative or hostile actions" by the UAE.

"Despite repeated warnings and calls for the UAE to consider the serious consequences" of its conduct, the ministry said, the UAE had persisted in actions that had reached "the limits of what is admissible or tolerable."

The ministry said the UAE ambassador was received at its headquarters on Thursday and formally notified of the decision, with a 48-hour deadline to comply.

Although the reason for cutting diplomatic ties remains unclear, Algerian media outlets have accused the UAE in the past of seeking to fuel regional tensions.