Gulf's Brightest Student Investors Compete for Top Prize in UAE

The UAE Securities and Commodities Authority is calling on citizens, school students, and university students to join the "Smart Gulf Investor Award," a competition designed to spread financial literacy across the region. The initiative comes from a joint Gulf program launched by securities authorities across GCC countries to build responsible investing habits and financial awareness.

The competition asks participants to create content about financial planning, saving basics, investment fundamentals, and investor protection. People can submit videos, written pieces, artwork, or photography. The organizers set up three main categories: individual participants, university students, and school students. This structure aims to get different parts of society involved in spreading financial knowledge.

Winners will receive cash prizes as recognition for their creative work and role in promoting smart investing culture across the Gulf region. The Securities and Commodities Authority says this competition gives young people and finance enthusiasts a chance to develop their skills while showcasing their talents in creating educational content that serves the community.

The deadline for submissions is February 2026, giving participants plenty of time to develop their ideas. Those interested can find full details about requirements and different submission categories on the "Mullam" program website.

This initiative reflects a broader push by Gulf regulators to educate retail investors before they enter financial markets. The region has seen growing interest in stock trading and investment, particularly among younger demographics. But here's the thing - many new investors lack basic financial literacy, which can lead to poor investment decisions and losses.

For the UAE's financial sector, this type of educational outreach makes sense. The country wants to position itself as a regional financial hub, and having well-informed investors helps create more stable, mature markets. When people understand the basics of risk management and financial planning, they're less likely to make emotional investment decisions that can hurt both individual portfolios and market stability.