Despite injuries, his career reached new heights in 2005. He was fourth at the Islamic Solidarity Games and ran a season's best of 1:46.67 minutes for fifth at the 2005 Asian Athletics Championships. Al-Azemi reached the semi-finals of the 800 m at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics and ended the year with a bronze medal at the 2005 Asian Indoor Games. He changed coaching staff to Jama Aden in December and the training had quick results, as he ran a national record of 1:44.80 min to win at the Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix. He improved it further to 1:44.59 min with a win on the 2006 IAAF Golden League circuit at the Bislett Games and had his best run of the year at the Athens Grand Prix Tsiklitiria (1:44.13 min). A close duel with Youssef Saad Kamel at the 2006 Asian Games was the highlight of the year – even though the Kenyan-born runner defeated him he was the silver medallist in the event.