text: Out there in the desert, the mirage continues to shimmer for Amir Khan. The identity of the challenge becomes blurred in the haze. First it looks like Floyd Mayweather. Now he glimpses Manny Pacquiao. And in which oasis in the sand might he finally touch gloves with one of the two best boxers on earth? The initial lure has been Mayweather in Las Vegas, Nevada. Now the siren call is Pacquiao in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. For two years Khan has been so close to fighting Mayweather that he could smell the resin and hear the roar of the crowd. Yet each time he reaches out, the tantalising illusion fades and slips away like so many fantasies along the Vegas Strip. Now the image of Pacquiao dances before him and there is reason to believe that a tale which might have been told by Scheherazade could become reality one starlit Arabian night. After waiting and waiting for Floyd Mayweather, Amir Khan could be set to face Manny Pacquiao . A fight with Pacquiao, preparing to face Floyd Mayweather on May 2, is on the cards for Abu Dhabi . The handsome young prince of British boxing will pay a flying visit to Vegas on May 2, there to watch the PacMan and the Money Man dispute the richest fight of all time. Win or lose, Pacquiao could await Khan come winter. Sportsmail's Jeff Powell with Amir Khan . Bob Arum, the PacMan’s vintage promoter, has to hand a treasure trove of an offer for a fight in Abu Dhabi this November or December. Khan, the stand-by for Pacquiao had Mayweather refused the Fight of the Century, is Arum’s first choice for that extravaganza in the Middle East. Once Pacquiao’s sparring partner, now Khan says: ‘I want this fight. I would love to box Manny. We’ve been looking at an event in Dubai and Abu Dhabi is only a short drive away. It’s a dream of mine to fight in that part of the world.’ As a hero of the Muslim world, Khan would be a huge attraction there. He now has initials which are the Pakistan equivalent of a CBE behind his name. His father and mother have just returned from Islamabad where, on their son’s behalf, they received from President Mamnoon Hussain the PAPID - the President’ s Award for Pride In Performance. Arum is aware of that box office potential but also recognises the boxing qualities of the ‘nice young man’ from Bolton: ‘Amir has great speed. Maybe the only guy as fast as Manny. And his recent performances have been impressive. This would be an outstanding fight.’ Assuming that Khan wins his interim bout with Chris Algieri in New York next month, all that would appear to stand between him and his long-awaited mega-fight is the outside chance of a re-match between Pacquiao and Mayweather. Promoter Bob Arum (left), with Pacquiao and Roach after the 2009 win over Miguel Cotto, rates Khan highly . Floyd Jnr seems to have no great appetite for a second edition of May 2nd, even though a return bout might bank the man who nicknames himself Money another couple of hundred million dollars. Either way, Mayweather will conclude his enriching six-fight contract with the Showtime cable network in America in September. That timing rules out Khan as his opponent - yet again after two broken promises - because his strict observance of Ramadan would not end in time for him to prepare fully. But if it’s not a re-match and Mayweather finds another opponent, Pacquiao-Khan is a natural for both of them. Pacquiao prefers an early winter date for his second fight of a year and Khan says: ‘Late November or December is perfect for me.’ Furthermore, it is highly unlikely that if Mayweather beats Pacquiao he will want to risk his cherished unbeaten record for a second time against the most dangerous of all his opponents. Floyd Mayweather will end his six-fight deal with Showtime in September, which won't work for Khan . Pacquiao works out with trainer Freddie Roach at their base at Wild Card Boxing in Los Angeles . And Khan suspects that will be the upshot in Vegas: ‘I actually think that once Mayweather gets through Manny’s assault in the first few rounds it will become an easy win for him. ‘Manny has speed and power but Floyd has the defensive skill to avoid him and the brain and accuracy to keep picking him off as he comes in. ‘The longer it goes the harder it will get for Manny and if he is to win he will have to keep up the pace through every minute of every round.’ Khan has affection as well as respect for his old spar-mate, so it puts him in a curious position to realise that defeat for his pal would benefit himself. Khan believes Pacquiao will struggle more with Mayweather the longer their mega-fight goes on . So he says: ‘I’ll just watch it with a professional eye. And there is a chance that if Floyd’s legs really are slowing down that Manny will catch up with him - and he can punch.’ By way of further irony, Khan has been working lately to add to his high-speed aggression exactly the kind of patience he would need if he ever did fight Mayweather. Hidden away in a unit in a business park in Oakland, across the Bay from San Francisco, is the gym in which trainer Virgil Hunter hones the talents of Khan and his long-time protege Andre Ward, who will shortly make his own comeback from a long lay-off. Khan has to first overcome Chris Algieri (left), who was decked six time by Pacquiao, on May 29 in New York . But as his higher education continues under Hunter, he is buckling down. Partly in the knowledge, at 28, that these are his prime years and they must not be squandered. He says: ‘I’ve wasted the best part of a couple of years waiting for Floyd because I would love to be the man who beat the man considered the best pound-for-pound in the world. Now I have to make the most of every day because soon it may be too late. ‘Floyd and Manny are getting closer to retirement and if I don’t fight one of them soon it may never happen.’ That is one of the reasons why Khan puts on hold a Battle of Britain with Kell Brook, preferring to focus on selling himself in America and thereby stay at the front of the queue for a shot at Pacquiao or Mayweather. Kell Brook (left) is fighting Frankie Gavin (right) in the 02 Arena and Khan says he has to wait to face him . Does his May 29 fight with Algieri - recently floored six times by Pacquiao in Macao - help that crusade? ‘Algieri’s a better fighter than Frankie Gavin (Brook’s world title challenger next month). He’s world lightweight champion and he’s fought at a far higher level than Frankie. Kell can wait.’ Khan says: ‘Being at ringside (on May 2) will be a bit frustrating but I accept that this is the fight the whole world has been waiting to see. So no. I won’t be feeling any resentment.’ It is not much more than a half-hour’s flight from Oakland to Vegas. Amir Khan is hoping that the next time he takes to the air it will be on a magic carpet — to Arabia.
target: Amir Khan could be set to face Manny Pacquiao in Abu Dhabi, UAE .
  Khan's hopes of taking on Floyd Mayweather Jr in Las Vegas have faded .
  PacMan's promoter Bob Arum has a mega offer for a UAE fight late in 2015 .
  Khan is a hero of the Muslim world and his lure in the Middle East is clear .
  The Brit will be ringside when the Money Man fights the PacMan on May 2 .
  Khan must first win interim bout with Chris Algieri in New York on May 29 .