News & Event

HE Dr. Rahma bint Ibrahim Al Mahrouqi, Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation, patronaged the closing ceremony of the Gulf Forum for Financial Innovation for public education students in grades (10-12), which was organized by the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States (ABEGS) in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, represented by the project to instill the principles of financial literacy in school students (Khazna), under the slogan: “Financial Innovation: An Investment in the Future.” The forum was attended by Their Excellencies the Undersecretaries, officials from the member states of the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States, and the Directors-General of the educational directorates in the Ministry’s General Diwan and in the governorates. The three-days forum took place at the Mövenpick Hotel Muscat.

The results of the Gulf Forum for Financial Innovation for Public School Students, hosted by the Sultanate of Oman, were announced. The forum honored the winning projects in three main categories that embodied the creativity and entrepreneurial thinking of Gulf students. In the Financial Innovation category, the Green Path project from the United Arab Emirates won first place, while the Nakhlna L Ahlanna project from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia came in second, and the Fils project from the Kingdom of Bahrain took third place.

In the Projects category, the Golden Economy project from Kuwait took first place, followed by the Renewable Energy project from Qatar in second place, and the ProGreen project from Oman in third place. In the Financial Innovation Challenge Award category, the Madawir project from Kuwait took first place, the Tharaa project from Bahrain came in second, and the Riyadi project from Saudi Arabia came in third.

The closing ceremony began with a speech by HE Dr. Mohammed bin Saud Al-Muqbil, Director-General of the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States (ABEGS), in which he explained that the “world today is witnessing rapid changes in various areas of life due to technological progress, the dominance of the knowledge economy, and the growing competitiveness in the labor market. This has created economic and financial challenges that affect individuals, families, and society, and impact the stability of countries and their ability to achieve their development plans. Empowering our students with financial literacy and the skills necessary to manage their financial affairs consciously and efficiently, and providing educational environments that foster financial innovation, enhance awareness, advance consumer behavior, and open up horizons for creative thinking and quality projects, is therefore important. Therefore, this forum was organized as an interactive platform that brings together educational and financial expertise from member states, linking knowledge and innovation through dialogue sessions, workshops, and student competitions. This contributes to honing the skills of talented students and enabling them to offer innovative financial products that keep pace with the development aspirations of their countries.”

Following this, Dr. Haifa Al-Maamari, Director of the Financial Literacy Project for School Students (Khazna), delivered a speech in which she said, "Today, we conclude the activities of the Gulf Financial Innovation Forum, where we have outlined an achievement of which we are all proud. This is a new beginning that inspires us to continue our journey with confidence and determination, armed with the expertise and experience we have gained. The innovative ideas and quality projects we witnessed during the forum confirm the promising potential of our students, who deserve support and care. This embodies the vision of the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States to build a financially conscious generation capable of contributing to achieving sustainable economic development."

A number of experts participated in the forum as evaluators of the Gulf competitions, along with supervisors and trainers from various Gulf countries. Activities included panel discussions, training workshops, student competitions, and recreational trips.

During the closing ceremony, outstanding teams and supervisors participating in the project preparation were honored in recognition of their efforts and creativity in promoting a culture of financial innovation among students. The forum concluded by emphasizing the importance of enhancing entrepreneurial and financial skills among young people, in line with the future development goals of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.