  Higher dimensional grand unified theories, with gauge symmetry breaking by
orbifold compactification, possess SU(5) breaking at fixed points, and do not
automatically lead to tree-level gauge coupling unification. A new framework is
introduced that guarantees precise unification -- even the leading loop
threshold corrections are predicted, although they are model dependent. Precise
agreement with the experimental result, \alpha_s^{exp} = 0.117 \pm 0.002,
occurs only for a unique theory, and gives \alpha_s^{KK} = 0.118 \pm 0.004 \pm
0.003. Remarkably, this unique theory is also the simplest, with SU(5) gauge
interactions and two Higgs hypermultiplets propagating in a single extra
dimension. This result is more successful and precise than that obtained from
conventional supersymmetric grand unification, \alpha_s^{SGUT} = 0.130 \pm
0.004 \pm \Delta_{SGUT}. There is a simultaneous solution to the three
outstanding problems of 4D supersymmetric grand unified theories: a large mass
splitting between Higgs doublets and their color triplet partners is forced,
proton decay via dimension five operators is automatically forbidden, and the
absence of fermion mass relations amongst light quarks and leptons is
guaranteed, while preserving the successful m_b/m_\tau relation. The theory
necessarily has a strongly coupled top quark located on a fixed point and part
of the lightest generation propagating in the bulk. The string and
compactification scales are determined to be around 10^{17} GeV and 10^{15}
GeV, respectively.
