The decision to name the UAE capital as host city was made during the AFC’s Executive Committee meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday and marks the second time the gala ceremony has come to the UAE capital, after it also staged the event in 2006.

That was the first year the event had been held outside the AFC’s headquarters in the Malaysian capital.

“Football has grown enormously in the UAE over the years and we are very pleased to hold the Annual Awards in Abu Dhabi this year,” said AFC president Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa.

The 2015 event was staged in New Delhi where UAE and Al Ahli striker Ahmed Khalil was named Asia’s best player, the 24-year-old becoming the first Emirati to win the accolade.

Khalil had been a part of the UAE squad that finished an impressive third at the Asian Cup and was also instrumental in the Red Knight’s progress to the Asian Champions League final, where they were beaten 1-0 by China’s Guanzhou Evergrande.

Khalil captured the title ahead of compatriot and Al Ain playmaker Omar Abdulrahman and China’s Zheng Zhi, of Champions League winners Guanzhiu.

Khalil is one of only three players to collect both the young player of the year and player of the year awards, having won the junior crown in 2008.