From 1969 - 1977 he served as Foreign Minister and on 24 January 1991 he was appointed by then President of Somalia Siad Barre and became the last Prime Minister of Somalia under his regime.
After the ouster of Barre the next president, Ali Mahdi Muhammad reappointed Umar Arteh Ghalib as prime minister, a position he was to hold until May 1993.