 Merchants looking for exotic goods came to Hobyo to buy textiles, precious metals and pearls.The commercial goods harvested along the Shabelle river were brought to Hobyo for trade.Also, the increasing importance and rapid settlement of more southerly cities such as Mogadishu further boosted the prosperity of Hobyo, as more and more ships made their way down the Somali coast and stopped in Hobyo to trade and replenish their supplies.