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He made the remarks as he received Wednesday at Qasr Al Shati' Palace the President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

UAE’s president Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has canceled an in-person meeting with the Somali president at the presidential palace in Abu Dhabi after he received a positive result on a coronavirus test.

Roble was praised for his courageous decision to restore ties with the UAE last month, as well as for returning $ 9.6 million in cash seized by NISA at Mogadishu airport in early April 2018 during Farmajo’s presidency.

The president flew to Abu Dhabi after receiving an invitation from his United Arab Emirates counterpart Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. who seeks strong and close relations with Somalia.

The UAE has been at loggerheads with the Qatar-backed ex-Somali president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo for the past five years as his administration sided with Doha during the Gulf diplomatic crisis.

In January 2022, Prime Minister Roble ordered the release of the UAE money from the central bank and it was stopped by the outgoing president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, who is a close ally of Qatar.

Dr. Mohammed Ateeq Al Falahi, Secretary-General of the Emirates Red Crescent, said sending the ship was part of phase three of the UAE's response to the drought affecting Somalia.

The Emirates has invested heavily in infrastructure in Somalia’s breakaway territory of Somaliland, with Dubai-owned DP World port operator running a major port in the area.

According to the office of the PM, Roble jetted off to the Gulf country after receiving an invitation to visit Abu Dhabi amid election turmoil in Somalia and a bitter feud between him and President Farmajo.

The relations between Somalia and UAE have been at a low point since Farmajo sided with Qatar after the Gulf diplomatic crisis began in 2017.

The Governor of the Central Bank of Somalia has been put under pressure from the presidency to turn down PM’s instructions with Farmajo’s office arguing it goes against the national financial regulations.

The UAE has disbanded its support to the Somali military, in the fields of training and payments in 2018 after Mogadishu sided with Qatar during the Gulf crisis.