The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation confirmed on 18 August that the UAE has welcomed Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his family into the country on humanitarian grounds.

Ghani left Afghanistan over the weekend as Taliban fighters entered and overran the country's capital, Kabul.

Confirming he had arrived in the UAE, Ghani said he left his country to prevent a huge disaster and to stop bloodshed and chaos. He also said that he is "currently in talks to return to Afghanistan".

READ: Gulf confronts new reality as Kabul falls to Taliban

Other Afghan politicians have criticised Ghani for leaving the country, facilitating the swift collapse of the government under the Taliban's campaign to reclaim leadership following the announcement of the US-led coalition forces' withdrawal from the country.

The negotiations for a handover between the Western-backed government of Ghani and the Taliban had been taking place in Doha, Qatar.

The Taliban announced on 16 August that it was holding talks with other Afghan parties in Doha, over the structure and name of the new government.

The group held its first press conference on 17 August, as Western countries scambled to evacuate diplomats, staff and allied Afghans out of Kabul airport.