He was much improved in the 2011 season. He reached 28th place at the 2011 World Cross Country then claimed the Asian 5000 m title at the 2011 Asian Athletics Championships – Bahrain won all the long-distance races that year as a result. He ran a personal best of 13:24.27 minutes for the event at the 2011 Military World Games, finishing seventh, and represented Bahrain in the heats at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics. At the 2011 Pan Arab Games in December he tried out the 3000 metres steeplechase and came fourth in a time of 8:39.53 minutes. He won his first medal on grass the following March, as he was the runner-up at the Asian Championship meet and was part of a Bahraini podium sweep with Alemu Bekele and Bilisuma Shugi.