From a three-year-old selling dresses at community events to young entrepreneurs building businesses, UAE youth are learning about money, responsibility, and financial independence early.
For some young people in the UAE, lessons about money and business are beginning long before adulthood.
Three-year-old Zia Amanda Treyes is one example. After taking part in a community event where she sold dresses, she was already asking her mother when she could do it again.
“Mommy, can we do it again? I love selling my dresses!” she told her mother, Jhana.
For Jhana, the experience was not about teaching her daughter the complexities of running a business. It was about giving her an early opportunity to create something, interact with people, and make simple decisions.
“I want my daughter to grow up seeing that as a woman, she can build something for herself too,” Jhana said.
She has also noticed her daughter’s growing confidence and enthusiasm through these experiences.
“At her age, I don’t expect her to understand everything about business yet. I simply want her to experience it, have fun, and learn along the way.”
For Zia, the lesson may currently be as simple as enjoying the experience of selling a dress. For other young people in the UAE, early exposure to entrepreneurship has developed into a deeper understanding of money, responsibility, and financial independence.
Starting With a Real Problem
Emirati entrepreneur AlDhabi AlMheiri started her entrepreneurial journey at the age of six.
Now 12, she is the founder of Rainbow Chimney, a publishing and educational venture inspired by her love of books and her interest in making learning more inclusive.
The business has grown to work with children, schools and government entities, allowing AlMheiri to develop her understanding of both entrepreneurship and financial responsibility.
“I came from a country that believed in me. My family nurtured my abilities, while the UAE gave me the confidence to represent it locally and internationally,” AlMheiri said.
Her work was also recognised when the Ministry of Economy selected her as one of the UAE Future 50.
“Growing up in this environment taught me that young people do not have to wait for the future to contribute; we can begin shaping it today,” she said.
Running a business has also changed how she understands money.
“Managing a business taught me that revenue and profit are different, and that every financial decision carries responsibility.”
AlMheiri said her experience has taught her about understanding customers, controlling expenses, reinvesting money, and remaining accountable for financial decisions.
“I learned that money is a tool; when managed responsibly, it allows a business to grow, remain sustainable, and create a greater impact.”
Her advice to other young entrepreneurs is to begin by identifying a real problem and developing even a small solution. She also recommends learning the basics of budgeting, pricing, saving, and reinvesting.
“Most importantly, do not pursue money without purpose. Build something useful and allow financial independence to become the result of the value you create.”
Learning What Every Dirham Represents
For 20-year-old Gleryll Balagosa, the lessons began by watching her mother build businesses in the UAE.
“Growing up, I was able to see firsthand how much hard work, sacrifice, and responsibility go into building a business,” Balagosa said.
Seeing her mother’s journey from humble beginnings to building businesses helped Balagosa understand that financial independence is something developed over time.
Her involvement in business has given her practical exposure to how money is earned, managed, and reinvested.
“I started exploring different opportunities, not just because I wanted to earn, but because I wanted to learn.”
For Balagosa, financial independence means having the freedom to make decisions without constantly depending on someone else.
“I want to be able to support myself, help my family when I can, and eventually build something that is truly mine.”
Her experience has also shown her that earning money is only one part of becoming financially independent.
“You have to know how to manage it, protect it, and understand where it is going.”
Not Every Opportunity Is the Right Opportunity
Balagosa’s understanding of success has also changed through her experiences in business.
Rather than viewing income as the only measure of success, she has come to place greater importance on discipline, priorities and responsibility.
“Working in business also taught me that not every opportunity is automatically a good opportunity,” she said.
Entrepreneurship can involve making difficult choices, including negotiating, taking calculated risks or walking away from opportunities that do not fit a person’s goals.
Balagosa also believes young people should not feel they need to wait until adulthood before taking their ambitions seriously.
“I’m still learning, and still a lot of things to learn about, but every job, client, mistake, and business experience has taught me something valuable.”
She added that her goal is not success simply for appearances, but stability and the ability to help others.
Financial Lessons That Grow With Age
The experiences of these young entrepreneurs are different, but they point to a common lesson.
Financial independence is not simply about how much money someone earns.
It also involves understanding how money works, taking responsibility for financial decisions, developing practical skills, and learning how to create opportunities.
For a three-year-old selling dresses at a community event, that learning may begin with the excitement of making a sale.
For a young entrepreneur running a publishing business, it can mean understanding the difference between revenue and profit.
And for someone entering adulthood, it can mean learning how to earn, save, manage and reinvest money.
The lessons may change with age, but the underlying idea remains the same: financial confidence is built gradually, through experience, responsibility and the willingness to learn.
Clockwise from top left: Zia Amanda Treyes, AlDhabi AlMheiri, Juliana Dimayuga Guinguing, and Gleryll Balagosa. Supplied/ Gulf News
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