Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani has taken refuge in the United Arab Emirates, the Gulf nation confirmed.
Mr Ghani fled Afghanistan as the Taliban advanced on its capital city Kabul over the weekend.
The UAE’s foreign ministry said the country had welcomed Mr Ghani and his family on humanitarian grounds.
In a video address later on Wednesday, Mr Ghani said he had left Afghanistan to avoid bloodshed and prevent what he described as a “huge disaster
He also said rumours that he had travelled to the UAE with a large amount of money with him were “completely baseless” and “lies”.
Mr Ghani has faced intense criticism from other Afghan politicians for leaving the country.