Asian Footballer of the Year
Following the World Cup, Owairan returned to Saudi Arabia. The same year he was named as Asian Footballer of the Year. Despite interest from European clubs, he was unable to leave the country due to a national law preventing Saudi footballers from playing abroad. In 1996, he was caught drinking alcohol and socializing with women during Ramadan by the Saudi police. He was given a prison sentence (believed to be around six months) and suspended from competitive football for one year.