For the first time, girls lined up alongside boys at Yas Heat Academy’s AL SABQ, a small but significant shift at one of the earliest entry points into motorsport in the UAE.
Held on April 18 at Yas Marina Circuit, the second edition of the grassroots programme brought together 26 Emirati children aged 5 to 7, doubling participation from its 2025 debut. But the headline this year wasn’t just growth, it was representation.
And at the centre of it: Ameera Al Mheiri.
At just 4 years and 7 months old, Ameera was named the programme’s Top Female Winner, marking her out as one of the youngest and most promising talents to emerge from this year’s selection. She will officially join the Yas Heat Academy racing programme once she meets the minimum age requirement, stepping into a pathway that feeds directly into competitive karting.
She wasn’t alone. Girls featured across the field, with female participants placing within the Top 15 finalists, a clear signal that access is widening, and that talent is coming through earlier, and differently, than before.
Alongside Ameera, Faisal Alzaabi (7 years, 1 month) and Saif Alshehhi (7 years, 2 months) were named overall winners, each earning fully funded Bambino racing seats in the UAE IAME and Bambino Cup Championship as official Yas Heat Academy drivers.
Hosted at Yas Kartzone, AL SABQ is designed to identify and develop young talent through a full-spectrum assessment, combining on-track performance with fitness, coordination, and behavioural evaluations. It’s a long-term view of athlete development, starting at the very beginning.
While all finalists represented Abu Dhabi, the programme attracted registrations from across the UAE, including Dubai and Ajman, reflecting growing national interest in motorsport at grassroots level.
But this year marks a first, and those matter.
Because when girls are entering the sport at five, six, seven years old — and placing — it changes the trajectory. It builds familiarity, confidence, and visibility from the outset, shaping not just who participates, but who progresses.
AL SABQ forms part of Yas Marina Circuit’s wider vision to develop homegrown motorsport talent and strengthen grassroots engagement across the UAE. The programme has already contributed to a growing pipeline of Emirati drivers progressing through the ranks, with ambitions that extend well beyond the local stage.
With plans already underway for the 2027 edition, the direction is clear.
The next generation is coming through, and for the first time, it includes girls from the very start.
