The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Executive Committee has named Abu Dhabi as the host city for the AFC 2016 Annual Awards night in November.

This will be the second time Abu Dhabi has hosted the Annual Awards – the other being in 2006.

The announcement was made during the AFC’s meeting that also revealed its long-term objectives to become the world’s leading football confederation.

United behind the sentiment of ‘One Asia, One Goal’, the AFC Executive Committee also pledged to further strengthen ties with other football bodies.

AFC president Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said at the meeting in Kuala Lumpur: “Our stated ambition is to increase engagement with the billions of potential football fans across this continent, as well as becoming the world’s leading confederation.

“The AFC will continue to work closely with other confederations – strengthening our links with CAF, CONCACAF, UEFA and OFC as well as building on the understanding we have with other key stakeholders.

“We must work harder than ever at the AFC to sustain the momentum Asian football is gathering on the global stage. However, we need, as we said in the Vision and Mission, to make our teams stronger so we can close the gap on world football powerhouses.

“That must be our focus in the coming months and years.”