Hillier sits at two-over for the tournament, seven shots behind joint leaders Rory McIlroy and Tyrrell Hatton at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
Ryan Fox is another two strokes back after posting his second consecutive 74, leaving the Open champion tied 35th at four-over.
For Hillier, however, the biggest prize remains firmly within reach — a 2027 PGA Tour card.
Fast Start Gives Way To Tough Back Nine
Hillier began Friday strongly, birdieing the second and seventh to reach three-under for the championship.
Bogeys at the eighth and ninth erased those gains before his round became more difficult after the turn.
Three consecutive bogeys from the 11th left him fighting to limit the damage.
Hillier responded with a birdie at the 14th and finished positively with another at the par-five 18th, but his 75 dropped him down the leaderboard after Thursday’s opening 71.
With two rounds remaining, he has time to recover.
Fox Posts Second Straight 74
Fox also struggled to build sustained momentum on Friday.
The Kiwi made four birdies but gave away six shots through bogeys to sign for another two-over 74.
He reached the turn in level-par 36 after consecutive birdies at the seventh and eighth, before taking 38 shots on the back nine.
Fox sits at four-over through 36 holes, nine shots from the lead.
McIlroy And Hatton Share Halfway Lead
Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and England’s Tyrrell Hatton head into the weekend tied at five-under.
McIlroy followed his opening 69 with a 70, while Hatton arrived at the same total with rounds of 70 and 69.
That leaves Hillier seven shots back and Fox nine behind with 36 holes remaining.
PGA Tour Card Still In Hillier’s Hands
Hillier entered Dubai fifth among the eligible players chasing the 10 PGA Tour cards awarded through the final Race to Dubai standings.
He started the week with 2,351.25 points and a cushion of more than 637 points over the first player outside the qualifying positions.
At halfway, the DP World Tour projects Hillier 10th in the overall Race to Dubai standings.
The card allocation is based on the final rankings after Sunday, with already-exempt players removed when the 10 eligible qualifiers are determined.
That means nothing is formally secured yet, but Hillier remains strongly positioned.
After a difficult Friday, the equation for the Kiwi is straightforward: stabilise over the weekend, protect his place and finish a season that has taken him to the brink of fulfilling a childhood ambition.
Saturday Tee Times
Fox will again be first of the New Zealanders onto the Earth Course, teeing off at 6.25pm Saturday NZDT.
Hillier follows at 7.30pm.
Two rounds remain — and for Hillier, they could determine where he plays much of his golf in 2027.
