Zayed Al Katheeri and Asiya Aslam Mohammed, both students at the Dubai Aviation College, have won this year's Boeing Award for Academic Excellence. Zayed, a UAE citizen, is the first Gulf national to receive the Boeing Award. Asiya is the first girl to be given the award.

As their prize, both students will get a close up view of aerospace engineering when they travel to Boeing's headquarters in Seattle in the United States for a week of training briefings and tours.

During the week, Zayed and Asiya will get first hand experience of Boeing's technical and engineering practices, as well as other important aspects of aircraft manufacturing.

Zayed, who plans to join the Abu Dhabi Higher College of Technology when he returns from the U.S., said he was proud to have been chosen for the award. "I believe this experience will prove extremely valuable for my future career," he added.

Asiya, who received top scholastic honours, has been accepted for a degree programme at Kingston University in Britain.

"I am delighted to be the first girl student to win the Boeing Award for Academic Excellence. I look forward to an unforgettable and remarkable experience at Boeing," she said.

Paul Dubeck, Director of International Sales for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said: "We look forward to working with these and other students from the region in the future."