The UAE Challenges Algeria in the Sahel: A Project-Based Diplomacy vs. a Regime in Decline

In an unprecedented diplomatic shift, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has sent a strong signal to Africa and, indirectly, to Algeria’s military regime by intensifying its presence in the Sahel region. The recent tour of Emirati Minister Shakhbout bin Nahyan to Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger marks a major strategic break: for the first time, a Gulf Arab actor is directly engaging in a region long considered by Algiers as its own sphere of influence.

While the Algerian regime sinks into chronic internal crises, attempting to deflect attention with rhetoric about imaginary foreign enemies, the UAE opts for a concrete and constructive approach. Instead of clinging to ideological discourse, Abu Dhabi acts pragmatically, offering the Sahel countries strong partnerships in energy, security, and sustainable development.

This new dynamic follows the strategic agreement recently signed between Morocco and the UAE involving $14 billion in investments. The pact aims to strengthen Morocco’s energy and water security, while solidifying the Rabat-Abu Dhabi axis as a leading force in reshaping the Sahel’s geopolitical landscape.

The UAE’s choice to include the three main Sahelian capitals in its tour is no coincidence. It sends a clear diplomatic message: the era of Algeria’s monopoly in this region is over. The underlying message of the visit is striking: “We will combat instability and destructive ideologies with investment and smart alliances.”

Faced with this diplomatic offensive, the power circles in Algiers are caught off guard. The regime’s usual propaganda machinery may attempt to react, but the on-the-ground reality leaves little room for media manipulation. The military juntas in the Sahel now recognize their true allies—and their real destabilizers. Algeria’s ideological duplicity, oscillating between Pan-Africanist rhetoric and opaque dealings with mercenary networks, is beginning to lose credibility.

More than just a regional repositioning, the Emirati strategy reflects a broader realignment of alliances in Africa. Morocco and the UAE are emerging as the new architects of a Sahel in search of stability. Algeria, on the other hand, finds itself increasingly isolated, trapped in denial, and unable to compete with this results-oriented diplomacy.