Muscat – At just 12 and nine years old, Omani siblings Aisha and Salim Mohammed Al Yaqoubi have turned their passion for photography and content creation into a remarkable Gulf achievement, securing first place in the fourth season of the Gulf Smart Investor Award.

Organised by the securities market regulatory authorities of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states, the fourth edition culminated in an award ceremony held recently in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where the young Omani siblings were recognised for their winning entry.

The achievement marks a proud moment for the siblings from Ibri in Dhahirah, who competed against more than 300,000 participants from across the GCC.

For Aisha, a Grade 7 student at Ibri School for Girls, and her nine-year-old brother Salim, a Grade 4 student at Al Masarrat Basic Education School, the victory was about more than winning a competition. It was an opportunity to represent Oman and share a meaningful message with a wider audience.

Speaking to Muscat Daily, the siblings described winning first place as a moment of great happiness and pride, particularly because they were able to represent Oman and achieve the honour in the name of their country.

The latest success also builds on Aisha’s previous achievement in the same competition, where she secured first place in the video category for school students during the second season.

Their winning visual content focused on financial literacy and investment, presenting the concepts in a simple and engaging manner. They also incorporated a song about investment and financial awareness, alongside sign language to introduce financial literacy to people with hearing disabilities and make the message accessible to different segments of society.

The siblings worked together throughout the production process, sharing responsibilities in selecting ideas, filming and presenting. Although they sometimes had different ideas, they said they discussed them before deciding on what they felt was most suitable for the final work.

Repeated filming was among the main challenges they encountered. Some scenes had to be recorded several times before they achieved the result they wanted. Rather than giving up, they continued experimenting and repeating the process until they were satisfied with the final content.

For Aisha and Salim, however, the most valuable outcome of the experience goes beyond the trophy. They said they learned the importance of teamwork, patience and perseverance, while gaining new skills in photography, presentation and collaborative work. They also expanded their knowledge of investment and financial literacy.

The siblings are keen to continue their journey in content creation. They hope to develop new and useful ideas in the future, with several concepts they would like to bring to life.

Their message to other Omani students who have talents but may hesitate to participate is straightforward: “do not be afraid to start”.

They encourage young people to begin with their ideas, even if they appear simple, and to take part and experiment. Every experience, they believe, offers an opportunity to learn something new, and with persistence, dreams can become achievements.