Abbas, 28, started just 21 top-flight matches for the Red Knights since his purchase from Al Nasr. With his contract freshly elapsed at Rashid Stadium, he chose to move across Dubai to a club where he is expected to fill in for released Portugal metronome Hugo Viana.

“I would like to thank Al Wasl managament and fans for their confidence in me joining the club,” he told the Cheetahs’ Twitter account.

“I hope to help achieve your ambitions in the next year and to be as per your expectations.”

A fresh start for Abbas and his new employers begins Sunday as coach Rodolfo Arruabarrena oversees pre-season training. The ex-Argentina defender and Boca Juniors supremo replaced countryman Gabriel Calderon in June after his dismissal following a poor end to their AGL campaign, in which a potential shot at qualification to the AFC Champions League degenerated into a sixth-placed finish.

Medical examinations and initial fitness work will be carried out in the UAE until Wasl depart for a training camp in Nuremberg, Germany on July 25. Several friendly matches will be played there before returning home on August 18.

The competitive action begins for them against Sharjah in the Arabian Gulf Cup, starting on September 2-3. Their first AGL commitment will come at Al Jazira from September 16-18.