From selling toys to investing: Saif Al Naqbi’s lessons on winning financial freedom

Dubai: Today, Saif Al Naqbi is a successful Emirati entrepreneur, a pro investor with a large following of copy traders and the founder of Sahab School for financial literacy. But none of that came with a title or status handed to him. It was built through years of hard work, careful study and lessons learnt along the way. Long before Al Naqbi was running businesses, teaching financial literacy or managing investments, he was learning some of his first lessons about money behind a school canteen counter. Growing up in Dubai, he remembers helping to sell items at his government school, handling cash, calculating purchases and giving fellow pupils their change. At home, entrepreneurship took another form: he would sell his old toys so he could buy new ones. They were small transactions, but they planted the seeds of something much bigger. “Through those exchanges, I began learning the basics of buying and selling, how to assess the value of what I owned, and how to use the resources available to me to achieve a goal,” he says. His father, who worked in trade, gave him another early window into the world of business. “Being close to his experience gave me an early understanding of business and showed me that success requires effort, attention and knowledge developed over time.” An ambition that started early For Al Naqbi, there was never much doubt about the direction he wanted his life to take. “I wanted to become an entrepreneur and investor, build a recognised name in the UAE and make a contribution I could be proud of.” That ambition extended to the classroom. 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. “That recognition meant a great deal to me. It strengthened my confidence, encouraged me to keep working hard and inspired me to set higher ambitions.” Al Naqbi went on to study at universities in the UAE and California, specialising in Business Administration. His doctoral research focuses on the impact of global markets on investor anxiety and investment decision-making. He also drew inspiration from the UAE’s leadership, particularly interviews with His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, as well as the projects and initiatives being developed around him. “One of the most important lessons I took from it was that ambition requires initiative and sustained effort,” he says. Trading, learning and getting the numbers right Al Naqbi began trading in different fields while still a student, before moving into delivery and services and, eventually, education and training. Those first ventures brought lessons that textbooks could not. “Enthusiasm helps you get started, but staying in business requires an understanding of the numbers, control over expenses, attention to detail and commitment to customers,” he says. He also learnt an important distinction: activity does not necessarily equal success. “Sales alone do not necessarily indicate a healthy business. There is a difference between generating activity and building an operation that can deliver returns and sustain itself.” Failures mattered too. They taught him to question his assumptions and, crucially, recognise when a plan needed to change. “Knowing when to persist, when to adjust course and when to reconsider an idea has become one of the entrepreneurial skills I value most.” Leaving a secure career behind Before committing himself fully to entrepreneurship, Al Naqbi worked in government and diplomacy. His original plan was to remain at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, work towards becoming an ambassador and build investments alongside his diplomatic career. Then he changed course. Rather than simply walking away from the security of public service, he says he first worked towards building assets that could cover his expenses. “Resigning was difficult. I was leaving a career I valued, a good income and a future I had planned for years.” But he went ahead, choosing to concentrate on investing, managing his businesses and teaching financial management. Approximately four to five years after resigning, he describes it as “the best decision I have made”. It was not instant success. Al Naqbi says the toughest period was the roughly two years he spent proving that his businesses could deliver genuine results for customers. “That experience taught me that reputation and growth take time, and that the strongest foundation for a lasting business is keeping your promises and providing value people can experience for themselves.” Why financial education became personal Of his different ventures, Al Naqbi says Sahab School’s professional training business has taught him the most. Working directly with learners showed him how wide the differences in financial knowledge could be. It also convinced him that understanding a subject is very different from knowing h