Algeria pulls Sky News Arabia accreditation amid UAE rift: What to know

Algeria has withdrawn the accreditation of Sky News Arabia, a United Arab Emirates-owned Arabic-language news station, less than a week after Algiers severed diplomatic relations with the UAE.

What happened: Sky News Arabia announced the news in an X post on Wednesday, but did not specify the reason for the withdrawal of its accreditation. Al-Monitor has reached out to Sky News Arabia and the Algerian government regarding the decision. 

Relations between Algeria and the UAE have sharply deteriorated after years of tensions over regional conflicts and Algeria’s opposition to the UAE’s ties with Morocco.

On Sept. 10, Algeria announced that it was cutting diplomatic ties with the Gulf state, accusing Abu Dhabi of “provocative and hostile actions.” Algiers gave the Emirati ambassador 48 hours to leave the country. 

A statement issued by the Emirati Foreign Ministry that same day said that the UAE hopes “this decision will be temporary,” stating, “The UAE remains committed to preserving and strengthening these ties and shared interests.”

Background: Algeria has opposed the UAE’s increasingly close ties with Morocco, particularly Abu Dhabi’s support for Rabat’s position on Western Sahara. The UAE has backed Morocco’s claim to sovereignty over the disputed territory, while Algeria supports the Polisario Front, an armed political movement that seeks independence for Western Sahara. The North African rivals have been at odds since Algeria severed diplomatic relations with Morocco in 2021.

Algiers has also become increasingly critical of the UAE’s expanding role in the Sahel and conflicts in the region. Algeria views Emirati involvement in neighboring countries including Mali and Libya as a challenge to its own regional influence. 

The two countries have also taken opposing positions on the war in Sudan, with Algeria providing diplomatic backing for the Sudanese government and the Sudanese Armed Forces while the UAE has faced repeated accusations of providing financial and material support to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Abu Dhabi denies the claims.

Know more: Sudan severed diplomatic ties with the UAE in May 2025, and in November 2025 banned Sky News Arabia after a controversial report from el-Fasher, a city that had recently been taken by the RSF. The Sky News Arabia journalist was filmed posing with an RSF member who had been accused of making statements inciting sexual violence against women. The station's broader coverage of the Sudan conflict had drawn accusations of support for the RSF.

Sky News Arabia launched in 2012 as a joint venture between UK-based Sky News and Abu Dhabi-based International Media Investments. In May, Sky announced it would sell its stake to IMI, which is controlled by UAE Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the brother of President Mohammed bin Zayed. 

IMI now owns the station outright but will continue using the Sky News Arabia name under a licensing agreement. The Guardian reported in March that concerns over its editorial coverage, including reporting on Sudan, contributed to Sky’s decision to exit.