Algeria-UAE Rift: Algeria cut diplomatic ties with the UAE and closed its airspace to Emirati aircraft, citing “provocative and hostile” actions without details—an escalation analysts link to wider regional power competition that also touches Western Sahara. Western Sahara Diplomacy: US adviser Massad Boulos reaffirmed Washington’s support for a UN-backed, mutually acceptable Western Sahara resolution aligned with UNSC Resolution 2797. Investment on the Ground: Morocco’s 2026 budget framework says Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra received 79% of state land allocated for investment projects in H1 2025, with renewable energy a key driver of land-use patterns. Rights & Resources: Morocco’s CNDH urged a cross-cutting approach to the right to development in Geneva, while WSRW pressed the UN to integrate natural resources into the political process via a trust/escrow mechanism. Spain Citizenship Shock: Spain’s Congress approved a pathway to Spanish nationality for Sahrawis born in Western Sahara before 1977, a move that Morocco says risks inflaming tensions even as it insists the law doesn’t change territorial status. Ceuta Migration Fallout: Morocco denied involvement in the July mass crossing into Ceuta after Spanish intelligence warnings were published, rejecting being used as a pre-election political pawn. Africa Backing: Liberia renewed support for Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara and said it will back Rabat in UN discussions.