At three, she’s already selling dresses: How UAE’s youth are learning about money

Dubai: At just three years old, Zia Amanda Treyes is already discovering the excitement of making a sale.

“Mommy, can we do it again? I love selling my dresses!” she told her mother after taking part in a community event where she sold dresses and interacted with people interested in what she was offering.

For her mother, Jhana, the experience was not about teaching her daughter the complexities of business at such a young age. It was about giving her an early opportunity to create, communicate, and make simple decisions.

“I want my daughter to grow up seeing that as a woman, she can build something for herself too,” Jhana told Gulf News.

She has been particularly happy to see her daughter become more excited and confident during the experience.

“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 Treyes, the lesson may currently be as simple as enjoying the experience of selling a dress. For other young people, however, early exposure to business has developed into a deeper understanding of money, responsibility, and financial independence.

Starting with a real problem

For Emirati entrepreneur AlDhabi AlMheiri, the journey has begun at the age of six. Now 12, AlMheiri has founded Rainbow Chimney after her love of books and desire to make learning more inclusive inspired her to create something of her own.

The venture has grown into a publishing and educational business working with children, schools, and government entities. AlMheiri has noted that her journey showed her that young people do not necessarily have to wait until adulthood to make a contribution.

“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,” shared AlMheiri.

That support has been further reflected 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.”

Her experience has also brought financial lessons.

“Managing a business taught me that revenue and profit are different, and that every financial decision carries responsibility.”

AlMheiri has learned the importance of understanding customers, managing expenses, reinvesting wisely, and remaining accountable.

“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 people is to begin by solving a real problem, even if the first solution is small. She has also recommended 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 have come from watching her mother build businesses in the UAE.

“Growing up, I was able to see firsthand how much hard work, sacrifice, and responsibility goes into building a business,” described Balagosa.

Her mother has started from humble beginnings and worked her way into building businesses in the UAE. Seeing that journey has made Balagosa realise that financial independence does not happen overnight.

Being involved in the business has given her the opportunity to understand how money is earned, managed, and reinvested.

“I also wanted to learn how to stand on my own and not simply depend on my parents.”

The experience has changed the way she views money.

“Money is not just about spending or having nice things. Behind every dirham is time, effort, and someone’s hard work.”

Moreover, Balagosa has learned that responsibility has to come before success.

“There are days when things don’t go according to plan, and you still have to show up, solve problems, and take responsibility for your decisions.”

Her definition of success has changed as well.

“Before, I thought success was mainly about having money. Now I see it more as having the freedom to make choices, being responsible for yourself, helping your family, and creating opportunities for other people.”

Independence takes time

At 22, Juliana Dimayuga Guinguing has explored several areas of work, including sales, logistics, and digital marketing. She has also been involved in business, helping manage her family’s skincare venture and her mother’s work in events management.

For her, the desire to become independent has been a major motivation.

“I’ve always believed that I shouldn’t wait for someone else to build the life I want for me,” exclaimed Guinguing.

Her mother has raised her to be independent and understand the value of hard work and responsibility. Moving to the UAE has pushed her to become more intentional about her money, career, and decisions.

“I started exploring different opportunities, not just because I wanted to earn, but because I wanted to learn.”

According to Guinguing, financial independence means having the freedom to make decisions without constantly worrying or 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.”

Additionally, her experience in business has taught her that earning money is only one part of financial independence.

“You have to know how to manage it, protect it, and understand where it is going.”

Not every opportunity is the right opportunity

Guinguing has highlighted that her understanding of success has evolved from focusing primarily on income to recognising the importance of discipline, priorities, and responsibility.

“Working in business also taught me that not every opportunity is automatically a good opportunity,” stated Guinguing.

Sometimes, a person needs to say no, negotiate, take risks, or walk away from an opportunity that does not align with their goals.

She believes young people should not feel they have to wait until they are older before taking themselves 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. Most importantly, I’ve learned that I don’t want success just for the sake of looking successful. I want stability and to help.”

Lessons that grow with age

The young entrepreneurs have shared a common message that financial independence is not simply about how much money a person makes.

It is about learning how money works, taking responsibility for decisions, developing useful skills, and gradually building the confidence to create opportunities for yourself and others.