DUBAI: Saudi teenager Abdullah El Khereiji, whose ambition is to become his country’s first Formula One star, heads for the UAE next week aiming to take an important step in his budding motor sport career.

The Saudi Arabian Motor Federation has selected El Khereiji to represent the Kingdom in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia regional qualifying event for the 2015 FIA Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy.

Fifteen young drivers from around the region will take part in the event, which is organized by the Automobile and Touring Club for the UAE and takes place at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit from Sept. 28 to 1 Oct.1.

At stake is a place in next year’s fully funded Academy program, which develops young talent and promotes safety in motor sport.

El Khereiji is aiming to become the second Saudi driver in succession to go through into the Academy after Abdullah Bamogaddam came out on top in Abu Dhabi last year.

“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 Mohammed 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 17-year-old El Khereiji, who studies at the American International School of Jeddah and is one of the Kingdom’s top young swimmers, started karting at the age of nine and has scored race wins in France and Saudi.

In his first season of single-seater racing in 2013-14 he competed in the Gulf 1000 Championship in the UAE and grabbed a third-place podium finish. For the 2014-15 season he is competing in the Saudi Formula BMW Championship at Reem International Circuit.

Among those also 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 and Lebanon’s Patrick Njeim. The other countries represented are Cyprus, Egypt, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Sudan, Syria and Tunisia.

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 a total of ten drivers into the 2015 Academy program.

Previous academy graduates include Formula One reserve drivers Alexander Rossi, Stoffel Vandoorne and Robin Frijns, and World Rally Championship drivers Andreas Mikkelsen, Pontus Tidemand and Craig Breen.