UAE Youth Lead the Financial Literacy Revolution

The lights dimmed, the audience hushed, and six teams of young innovators stepped forward with nothing but five minutes and a dream. At the Zurich Middle East ‘Building Resilient Futures Together’ World Tour Event, resilience wasn’t just a theme; it was alive in every pitch, every story, and every spark of passion that filled the room. Below is a glimpse at the teams and their pitches:

Speak.AI: Giving Businesses a Voice That Never Sleeps

“Imagine an assistant who never complains, never sleeps, and somehow knows everything.” With that bold opening, Team Speak.AI captured the audience. Their AI-powered virtual assistant promises to transform how SMEs handle customer calls — human-like, affordable, and always on. As the founders pitched, you could feel their conviction: this wasn’t just software, it was a revolution in how businesses connect with people.

Little Orbits: Toys With Purpose

The stage shifted from tech to play. Little Orbits painted a familiar picture: toys scattered across the floor, children bored, parents overwhelmed. Their solution? Curated toy boxes that rotate every few weeks, tailored to developmental milestones and inclusive of children with disabilities. “We’re here to break the cycle,” they declared. It wasn’t just about toys — it was about joy, sustainability, and giving parents peace of mind. Their pitch felt like a heartfelt conversation with every parent in the room.

Business+: Turning Scrolls into Skills

“Raise your hand if you’ve lost hours scrolling your phone.” Hands shot up across the audience. Business+ spoke directly to Gen Z’s guilt, offering an app that transforms screen time into skill-building. Finance, marketing, time management - all delivered in bite-sized, AI-vetted videos. Their energy was contagious, their mission clear: to turn distraction into growth. As they said, “This is not the future. This is now.”

Tour by Emirati: Culture Through Local Eyes

This business offers authentic, local-led tours in Abu Dhabi, sharing Emirati culture and heritage with tourists, schools, and corporates. The company has 12 guides, partners with major tourism players, and boasts a 5-star rating from visitors across 35 countries. The team reminded everyone that resilience isn’t only about technology; it’s about preserving heritage and sharing identity with the world.

Fuloos Factory: Teaching Money by Doing

“Remember the first time you held money in your hand?” The team behind Fuloos Factory tapped into that memory, then revealed their vision: an AI-powered platform where kids run mini-businesses, make real transactions, and learn financial literacy by living it. Supported by KHDA, their slogan says it all: Learn it. Build it. Earn it. Watching them, you could see the spark of empowerment they want to ignite in every child.

Fin: Gamifying Financial Futures

Finally, Team Fin asked the question: “Are we ready for a cashless UAE?” Their answer was a gamified, Sharia-compliant financial literacy app for youth. With quizzes, challenges, and parental monitoring, Fin makes money management fun, accessible, and culturally relevant. Their ambition — to reach 150,000 users in three years — drew applause. It was more than an app; it was a movement to prepare the next generation for a future without cash.

And the Winners Are…

After heartfelt deliberation, the judges — Pamela Thomson-Hall, CEO International Region, WTW; Ayman El Hout, CEO – Middle East, Marsh; and Tim Bailey, CEO Life Protection, Zurich — announced the winners:

• Best Business Idea: Speak.AI
• Best Product: Business+
• Best Community Impact: Fin

The room erupted in cheers, not just for the winners, but for every team that dared to dream, pitch, and inspire.

As Nadine Saleh, Area Manager of INJAZ UAE reminded us, resilience is about leading, adapting, and creating. These young changemakers embodied that spirit, proving that innovation isn’t reserved for boardrooms — it thrives in classrooms, communities, and on stages like this one.