At a Time When Algeria Consistently Stands with Saudi Arabia in Support of the Causes of the Ummah, the Makhzen Conspires with the UAE Against Its Interests -BY: Maamar Gani

At a moment of extreme regional sensitivity, positions are becoming clearly differentiated and real alignments are being exposed, far removed from hollow slogans. Algeria, which since its independence has chosen to anchor its compass firmly to the causes of the Ummah and to collective Arab security, finds itself today on the same moral and political ground as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This stands in stark contrast to the Makhzen, which—driven by an Emirati agenda—insists on playing destabilizing roles that serve neither regional stability nor the interests of its peoples.

Algeria has not altered its position, nor has it maneuvered or bargained. Its steadfast support for Saudi Arabia is neither circumstantial nor a transient tactical choice; rather, it is the extension of a vision that views Gulf stability as an inseparable component of Arab security, and any targeting of a central state in the region as an attack on all. By contrast, Abu Dhabi, alongside the Makhzen, has opted for a policy of tampering with alliances, engineering dubious axes, and operating in the shadows to undermine any balance that does not serve its narrow ambitions.

What Algeria grasped years ago regarding the dangers of Emirati roles in the region is now becoming increasingly clear to Saudi Arabia itself. This realization did not emerge in a vacuum, but from an accumulation of facts confirming that the UAE seeks not equitable partnerships, but influence—even at the expense of state stability and sovereignty. Algeria has articulated this position openly, making no effort to conceal its unease over Abu Dhabi’s interventions. This was evident in the tensions that have marked relations between the two countries, as well as in the clear and forthright statements of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who did not hesitate to call things by their names and to put an end to diplomatic ambiguity when Algeria’s security and regional environment are at stake.

Today, Riyadh appears to have reached the conviction that the Algerian stance was neither hasty nor emotional, but rather an early and lucid reading of dangerous trajectories. The visit of the Saudi Minister of Interior to Algeria two days ago, and his reception by President Tebboune, was not a mere diplomatic formality; it was a politically loaded message of profound significance: Algeria is a reliable partner, and its vision of regional security merits serious consideration. The visit underscored a strategic rapprochement that goes beyond courtesy, laying the foundations for understandings rooted in shared interests and mutual respect.

On the opposite front, recent Emirati moves reveal a clear sense of confusion and reactive behavior. Mohammed bin Zayed’s visit to India and the signing of a joint defense agreement with the government of Narendra Modi cannot be separated from the ongoing regional shifts. This move appears to be a direct response to the growing Saudi–Pakistani alignment—an alignment that Turkey seeks to join—representing the nucleus of a balanced regional bloc capable of serving the stability of the Islamic world and curbing external hegemony.

The contrast could not be sharper between an alliance built around pivotal states of the Islamic world—such as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey—and another forged with India, Israel’s strategic ally and Pakistan’s historical adversary. The UAE’s choice of this path reflects not merely a grave political miscalculation, but also a willingness to position itself within camps hostile to the causes of the Ummah, so long as this secures it a functional role for forces antagonistic to the region.

More alarming still is that the Makhzen, instead of distancing itself from these risky ventures, has chosen blind alignment with the Emirati agenda—even at the cost of antagonizing Algeria, sabotaging any prospect of building an integrated Maghreb, and entangling itself in alliances that contradict popular sentiment and the most basic constants of the Ummah. Such behavior cannot be justified by geography or history; it falls squarely within the realm of political dependency and the erosion of sovereign decision-making.

In conclusion, the picture is clearer than ever: Algeria remains steadfast in its positions, reading transformations with strategic awareness and acting with the logic of a state rather than the logic of deals. Saudi Arabia, for its part, has begun to distinguish between a sincere ally and a reckless adventurer, between those who seek stability and those who thrive on chaos. As for the UAE and the Makhzen, they have chosen another path—a path of dubious alliances and losing bets that will bring the region nothing but further tension, and that history will record only as fleeting roles in a moment of major reckoning.