Omar Abdulrahman signs for Shabab Al Ahli until the end of the season

UAE playmaker was released by Al Jazira last week

Omar Abdulrahman has signed for Shabab Al Ahli. Chris Whiteoak / The National

UAE playmaker Omar Abdulrahman has signed for Shabab Al Ahli until the end of the season, the Dubai club announced late on Wednesday.

The 2016 Asian player of the year, released last week from his contract at Al Jazira, has joined until the end of the season. Aged 29, Abdulrahman is currently making his way back from injury, but is expected to be available for selection from the beginning of next month. Intriguingly, his return could come against Jazira on March 6, in Round 19 of the Arabian Gulf League.

Shabab Al Ahli are the third Emirati club that Abdulrahman has represented, following Al Ain and Jazira. The Dubai side, coached by former national team manager Mahdi Ali, sit fifth in the league after 15 rounds, 11 points off leaders Sharjah.

Abdulrahman left Jazira last week in what was a surprise announcement, with the Abu Dhabi club saying they had terminated the player’s contract “by mutual consent”.

The UAE international joined Jazira on a free transfer in the summer of 2019, but had been sidelined since October having sustained another significant injury. In 21 league appearances, he scored three times and registered two assists.

Abdulrahman had since been linked with a host of domestic sides, including Al Ain, Sharjah, Al Nasr and Al Wahda. Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli were also credited with holding genuine interest in signing him.

Before Jazira, Abdulrahman spent a trophy-laden decade with Al Ain, where he won the league title four times and the President’s Cup on three occasions. In 2016, he played an integral role in Al Ain’s run to the Asian Champions League final, where they lost 3-2 on aggregate to South Korea's Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.

Abdulrahman signed for Saudi’s Al Hilal in August 2018, however he suffered a serious knee injury after five league matches and did not play for the Riyadh club again. The issue caused him to miss the 2019 Asian Cup, held in the UAE.

For the national team, Abdulrahman was a pivotal part of the side that won the 2013 Gulf Cup, and that finished third at the 2015 Asian Cup in Australia. His most recent international appearance came in 2022 World Cup qualifier against Vietnam, in November 2019.