The 24-year-old Irishman fired five birdies and an eagle to finish two shots behind leader Martin Kaymer and one shot behind Spaniard Rafa Cabrera Bello.
Reflecting on his stunning round, Dunne said: “I’m pretty pleased, it was similar enough to yesterday. I hit the ball well, a lot of good iron shots. I must have hit 16 or 17 greens.
“I’m hitting a lot of good shots and I’m staying patient and making good decisions. As long as I can keep that mindset going forward I’ll be pretty confident for the weekend.”
On the greens in Abu Dhabi, he added: “The greens are perfect. They are rolling great. I’ve struggled with a few mid-range putts on the reads. The stroke feels good and I’m happy with the pace of the greens.”
