Afghan president Ashraf Ghani spent months holed up in a five-star hotel in the United Arab Emirates after fleeing his country as the Taliban began to take control, Business Insider reported citing The Wall Street Journal.

Ghani fled Kabul on August 15 following a months-long surge by the Taliban in which the militant group took over swathes of the country from his government after US forces left.

Ghani's whereabouts were unknown for several days. He eventually surfaced in the UAE, which said at the time that it had let in Ghani on humanitarian grounds. 

Once in the UAE Ghani took up residence in a luxury suite at the five-star St. Regis Hotel in Abu Dhabi along with his wife.

Ghani stayed there for months, while his wife selected a private villa for their permanent residence that was provided by the Emirati government.

After feeling Kabul, Ghani said in a statement that he fled to prevent bloodshed and "keep the guns silent."

However, Russia accused Ghani of fleeing with four cars and a helicopter, and alleged that he took large amounts of cash with him.