The Socceroos, who have drawn South Korea, Bahrain and India in their group for the 2011 Asian Cup which runs from January 7-29 in Qatar, will face the UAE on January 5.

Jaseb Majeed, the media manager of the UAE Football Association confirmed the fixture had been formalised.

"I can confirm the game and the date, but the venue is yet to be confirmed," he told UAE newspaper The National.

UAE, who reached the fourth round of AFC World Cup qualifying, finished in last place in Group B collecting just one point from their eight matches.

They are currently ranked 101st in the world according to FIFA's rankings system.

It is understood, the two football associations reached the agreement during an event on Sunday night aimed at promoting Australia's bid to host the 2022 World Cup.

The Australian ambassador to UAE and Qatar, Doug Trappett, said the nation was more than capable of hosting a World Cup as shown by the success of events such as the 2000 Olympics.

Trappett added: "The World Cup in Australia could be the best place in the world to have an away game because of the diversity, as it is home for millions of migrants, mostly from Asia, who have made it their home.

"Football has gone from strength to strength since Australia made its inaugural appearance in the World Cup in 1974.

"It is also the most popular sport, with over a million playing football at various age groups and levels."