Today's Edition
BATOOL GHAITH (ABU DHABI)
Drawn by a desire to help students better manage financial constraints, a young Emirati student and entrepreneur, Naji Faqihi Alawadhi, 19, launched SmartPocket, a student discount platform, offering verified deals from a list of local and international brands.
What started as conversations among university friends about spending habits evolved into a wider realisation.
"My friends and I noticed that everyday student spending in Dubai was becoming more intentional, students were thinking more carefully about where and how they spend. We spoke to a lot of students across different schools and universities, and the feedback was consistent, it was something they genuinely wanted and felt was missing," Alawadhi told Aletihad.
SmartPocket is fully based in the UAE and currently works with brands across a wide range of categories, including food and beverage, fashion and lifestyle, retail and shopping, and more.
"Our focus has been on building a balanced mix of everyday essentials and lifestyle brands that students already use, rather than just one category," he said.
While the application launched only two months ago, it has a growing user base of approximately 1,000 students. "We are seeing steady organic adoption. Our target is to reach 50,000 to 100,000 students in the UAE, including high school students," Alawadhi added.
Student verification is a core part of the platform as users are verified either through official student e-mail domains or through government-issued identification, such as Emirates ID or passport documentation, he explained.
According to Alawadhi, students can expect to save up to 25% on their monthly spending through SmartPocket, which helps stretch budgets without changing spending habits.
For Alawadhi, one of the biggest challenges was building a platform that works for very different types of merchants while keeping the experience simple for students.
"The most important thing I needed was access, access to conversations, feedback, and people willing to engage early. The UAE's business environment makes that possible. There is a strong culture of openness, mentorship, and support for young founders who come prepared and execute seriously," he added.
