Rory McIlroy is another shot further back alongside Tiger Woods with Padraig Harrington at four under.
Ballyclare's Maybin, 31, picked up where he left off yesterday after quietly getting to four under for the first round, following it up with a bogie-free two under on Friday.
His fellow Northern Irish golfer McIlroy was taking the headlines having shot a five under 67 on the first day.
We should not be surprised by Maybin's success on the National course at Abu Dhabi.
It was the scene of his best performance on the European Tour in 2011 when he picked up his biggest cheque of the year, €77,000, for finishing fifth.
Maybin, who turned pro in 2005 but had to return to qualifying school in 2007, has yet to drop any shots so far, having made four birdies on Thursday and two on Friday.
Rory McIlroy lost the lead as he incurred a careless two-stroke penalty on the ninth hole.
Just off the green in two, the Holywood golfer made the mistake of brushing away sand that was not on the putting surface and the penalty was imposed after a referee had been called.
The 22-year-old world number three also had a double bogey on the third and did well to avoid another on the 11th, but six birdies kept him in the hunt.
By adding a level par 72 to his opening 67 he was two behind clubhouse leader Thorbjorn Olesen and alongside Tiger Woods, his playing partner for the first two days.
McIlroy, asked if he was guilty of a lack of concentration or simply did not know the rule, said: "I think it was a little bit of both - first week back as well.
Luke said: 'I don't think you can do that' and then I was like: 'Oh yeah I can't, can I?' It twigged on me straightaway.
Rory McIlroy
"It undid all the great work I'd done after the bad start, but JP (caddie JP Fitzgerald) said 'It's only Friday, it's not as if these things are happening to you on a Sunday afternoon'.
"Tiger's not making many mistakes, is very consistent and his ball control looks good. I'm looking forward to battling with him over the weekend," he said.
Former world number one Woods had a chance to catch Olesen when he birdied the 13th, 14th and 16th, but he bogeyed the next after driving into the rough and, like McIlroy, had to settle for par on the long 18th. It gave him a 69.
Current number one Luke Donald, the third member of the group, had another quiet day in comparison to the adventures of McIlroy. He goes into the third round on one under following a 72.
Lee Westwood, meanwhile, battled with a neck problem as he remained level par with another 72 and defending champion Martin Kaymer - winner three of the last four years - missed the cut after improving only four shots on his opening 77.
Westwood was in grave danger of crashing out as well after five bogeys in his first 12 holes, but came back with a hat-trick of birdies.
Before going off for treatment the Worksop golfer said: "I've had it for about a month, but this is the first time I've played three days in a row since.
"The pain goes down into my elbow and it feels like somebody is driving a needle in there."
Asked if there was any possibility of him withdrawing during the round he added: "If I'd hit it in the long rough I might have had to think about it, but hopefully I'll be ok tomorrow."
As the day's play drew towards its close Olesen, three times a runner-up in his rookie season last year, was a stroke in front of McIlroy's compatriot Gareth Maybin, who had yet to record a bogey.
Woods said: "I thought I played well. A lot of the things Sean (coach Sean Foley) and I are working on are starting to feel very comfortable.
"But it's tough out there - the rough's getting deeper and more lush," he said.