(MENAFNEditorial) Fifteen young hopefuls, including some of the Arab world's brightest talents, follow their motor sport dreams to Abu Dhabi next week hoping to win a place at the FIA Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy.
Organised by the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE, the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia regional qualifying event for the 2015 Academy takes place at Yas Marina Circuit from 28 September to 1 October.
At stake is a single place in the fully funded Academy programme, which develops young talent, promotes safety in motor sport, and has already helped a succession of drivers take their careers to the top level.
Previous Academy graduates include World Rally Championship drivers Andreas Mikkelsen, Pontus Tidemand and Craig Breen, and Formula One reserve drivers Alexander Rossi, Stoffel Vandoorne, and Robin Frijns.
Among those hoping to come out on top in Abu Dhabi will be the UAE's Mansour Al Helei
Kuwait's Ali Makhseed, Oman's Anas Al Raeesi, Jordan's Nabeeh Muammar, Lebanon's Patrick Njeim and Saudi Arabia's Abdullah El Khereiji.
El Khereiji is aiming to become the second young Saudi to book a place at the Academy following Abdullah Bamogaddam's success at Yas Marina Circuit last year.
The other countries represented are Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Morocco, Sudan, Syria and Tunisia.
"The FIA Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy has proved to be very successful in developing the best young talent for careers at the top level of motor sport," said ATCUAE President Moahammed Ben Sulayem, the FIA Vice President.
"Competition for the one place available in Abu Dhabi will be fierce, and regardless of who wins, each of the drivers taking part will gain a great deal of knowledge and experience to help them in their own careers."
The regional qualifying event will consist of a series of demanding tests on the track, and in the classroom, at Yas Marina Circuit, home of the F1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Open to nominated drivers aged 15-23, it is one of six regional qualifiers worldwide which will deliver ten drivers into the 2015 Academy programme.
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