Saif Al Naqbi learned his first money lessons before he ever owned a bank account. As a schoolboy in Dubai, he helped sell items at his government school canteen, handling cash, working out change and learning what things were worth.
At home, he sold his old toys so he could buy new ones. Those small trades taught him to judge value, use what he had and work towards a goal.
Today, Al Naqbi is an entrepreneur, a professional investor whose trades are copied by thousands of other investors, and the founder of Sahab School, a Dubai based institution that teaches financial literacy to young people and adults. He got there slowly, through years of study, trading and building businesses.
His story is useful because it is not about a lucky trade. It is about learning first and investing second.
A school canteen and a box of old toys
Al Naqbi grew up in Dubai, and his father worked in trade, which gave him an early look at how business works. Watching his father taught him that success needs effort, attention and knowledge built up over time.
At school, his ambition was already clear. In primary school, he ranked first across the emirate and was recognised by His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. He says the recognition strengthened his confidence and pushed him to aim higher.
He went on to study business administration at universities in the UAE and California, and his doctoral research looks at how global markets affect investor anxiety and investment decisions. He began trading in university, partly because he wanted to understand investing and put money into education and training.
Enthusiasm gets a business started, he says, but staying in business needs the right people, the right product and customers.
Leaving a diplomatic career to bet on himself
Before committing himself fully to entrepreneurship, Al Naqbi worked in government and diplomacy. His original plan was to stay there for life and grow through the school system.
Then he changed course. Rather than walking away suddenly, he studied, asked for advice and built a plan slowly. Resigning was difficult, he says, because he had to give up a secure job in government service.
Four to five years after resigning, he calls it the best decision he has made. It was not instant success.
He says the toughest period was when he was doing everything well but closing no customers. That experience taught him that a good business is not built on a model alone, it is built on people who offer something customers genuinely need.
He also learned to accept that some things do not work and to change course. He draws a clear line between activity and success: being busy is not the same as having a business that is growing and healthy. What matters is the results the business delivers, not how quickly it can take money, or how long it can sustain itself.
Why Sahab School teaches patience before profit
Of his different ventures, Al Naqbi says Sahab School’s professional training business has taught him the most, and its most requested programme is business patience. Working directly with students showed him that rushing to sell is the wrong approach.
The school offers certified programmes in trading and investing, and its goal is to build understanding rather than chase quick returns.
The school has also partnered with eToro, the global trading and investing platform, which became one of the first partners to bring the course into the UAE. Al Naqbi is a Popular Investor with eToro, whose platform lets people see and copy the portfolio of other traders.
Looking ahead, he is considering future roles in the region and bringing an MBA programme from the United States to the UAE.
His advice to young investors is simple: invest in your understanding before you invest your money. Before putting money into something, he says, investors need to ask themselves three questions.
What am I investing in? Why does it suit my goals? What risks could I face?
Do not let excitement drive investment decisions, he warns. Give yourself time and space.
What Saif Al Naqbi’s story means for new investors in the UAE
Al Naqbi’s story is worth reading carefully because it refuses the shortcut. He did not get rich overnight, and he does not offer a fast path.
His version of a fast path is effort and learning before money. That is a goal worth copying, even if it is slower.
The lesson for new investors is that the boring work comes first. Learn how money works, practise before you commit and think about the risks.
The UAE has no shortage of investment opportunities, or businesses promising quick returns. If his school reaches more learners, Saif Al Naqbi will have left something more valuable than a trading record.
