Saudi Arabia builds new Arab bloc to isolate UAE
Saudi Arabia is moving to assemble a stronger Arab coalition to counter the growing influence of the United Arab Emirates, reaching out to Algeria as a key partner in an intensifying regional power struggle.
Mogadishu (Somali Report) - Saudi Arabia is moving to assemble a stronger Arab coalition to counter the growing influence of the United Arab Emirates, reaching out to Algeria as a key partner in an intensifying regional power struggle, well-informed sources say.
In a sign of this shift, Saudi Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif travelled to Algiers on January 19 for high-level talks with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
While official statements framed the visit as routine discussions on bilateral relations and security cooperation, sources briefed on the talks described them as politically charged and strategically significant.
Riyadh is seeking to capitalize on Algeria’s deteriorating relations with the UAE, aiming to enlist Algiers’ support as the once-close Saudi-Emirati alliance fractures over diverging interests in Yemen, Sudan, and the Horn of Africa.
Algeria has increasingly moved to the centre of this Gulf rivalry.
According to Algerian media and security sources, Algiers is considering severing diplomatic ties with Abu Dhabi over what it describes as “hostile manoeuvres.”
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The main point of contention is the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie (MAK), a Paris-based separatist group designated a terrorist organization by Algeria.
Algerian officials have privately accused the UAE of providing financial and logistical backing to the group, alleging coordination with Israel and Morocco to undermine Algeria’s national unity.
President Tebboune has previously alluded to “hostile actions” by a “brotherly Arab country,” remarks widely interpreted as referring to the UAE.
The Saudi outreach comes amid proxy confrontations elsewhere.
In Sudan, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi are seen backing opposing sides in the civil war, while in Yemen, UAE-supported forces frequently clash with Saudi-backed authorities.
By deepening engagement with Algeria—a country fiercely protective of its sovereignty—Saudi Arabia appears to be testing the formation of a new Arab alignment to counter Emirati ambitions.
Analysts say the Algiers meeting signals that Gulf competition is hardening into a broader struggle over the future regional order.
About the Author
Osman Hassan is a Senior Editor at the Somali Report based in Nairobi with over 15 years of experience in journalism. He has worked with local and international media outlets in Somalia and is an award-winning journalist. His reporting focuses on politics, security, and regional affairs in the Horn of Africa.