Last week Italy's captain Fabio Cannavaro joined Al Ahli in Dubai and last month Lekhwiya in Qatar signed Portsmouth's Aruna Dindane.
Melchiot, who had been offered a new contract but with a pay cut at Wigan, has signed a lucrative two-year deal.
The Dutchman, who also had spells at Chelsea and Birmingham, was in the Wigan team which shipped eight goals at Chelsea last month and lost 9-1 at Tottenham in November.
Source: BBC Sport
Source: BBC Sport