Pocket money by age in the UAE: how much to give, and what it should cover

How much pocket money do UAE children get?

No UAE authority publishes a recommended amount. What exists is a handful of news reports and one survey, most of them several years old. They show how much amounts vary, not what is normal.

The 2016 survey also asked what children do with the money. Among children in the UAE and Saudi Arabia who get pocket money, 47% spent it straight away, 36% saved some and spent some, and 17% saved all of it (The National, 2016).

How much pocket money should I give at each age?

These are our suggested starting ranges, not an official or bank figure. We set them from the reports above and from what children can usually manage at each age. The idea is a small base amount plus whatever your child is now expected to pay for.

A few things matter more than the exact number:

1. Be clear about what the money covers. Moving a real cost to your child (outings, a phone top-up) teaches more than simply giving more.
2. Weekly for under-10s, monthly for teens. A month is a long time for a young child; for a teenager it is good practice for a salary.
3. Fit it to your family. Your income and what siblings get matter more than any table.
4. Review it once a year, for example at the start of the school year.
5. These ranges are not adjusted for inflation. The sources run from 2010 to 2024.

What can children learn about money at each age?

A Cambridge study for the UK Money Advice Service found that most 7-year-olds can count money, plan ahead and understand that some choices cannot be undone, while children under 8 had not yet grasped the difference between luxuries and necessities (Gulf News, from The Telegraph, 2018). Habits start forming early, and practice matters more than explanations.

Ages 4–6

• Three clear jars: spend, save and give.
• Paying at a shop till with you beside them.
• Waiting one or two weeks for a small goal.
• Helping at home as part of the family, unpaid: tidying toys, laying the table.

Ages 7–9

• Needs and wants. This is hard before 8, so practise it often with real choices.
• A savings goal with a picture of it on the jar.
• A simple split rule, for example a third each to spend, save and give.
• Optional paid “extra” jobs beyond normal family help, such as washing the car.

Ages 10–12

• Comparing prices and reading receipts.
• Keeping a simple money diary.
• The idea of interest: borrowing costs more than the price on the label.
• Keeping PINs and personal details private.
• Choosing where to give, for example a cause they care about.

Ages 13–15

• A monthly budget, with outings and phone spending paid by the teen.
• Online and in-game purchases: agree that they ask you first. Psychologists quoted by The National (2016) advise clear rules on what may be bought.
• Spotting scams and suspicious messages.
• A first card or account under your supervision, where the bank allows it (see below).

Ages 16–18

• Budgeting a set monthly amount and tracking it.
• Saving for a big goal over many months.
• A first personal account at 18, and the responsibilities that come with it.
• Understanding that a credit card is borrowing.

Should pocket money be tied to chores?

Parents in the UAE take both views.

• Pay for some jobs. One Dubai family pays Dh5–25 per task and another pays Dh10 per task (Gulf News, 2021). Children see that money is earned.
• Keep it unconditional. Writing in The National in 2013, Nima Abu Wardeh argued that pocket money should not be paid for chores, which are part of family life, and that a few clear rules work better than micromanaging.
• A middle path (our suggestion). Keep the base amount unconditional and pay only for optional extra jobs that go beyond normal family help.

How can pocket money teach giving, saving and moderation?

Many Muslim families use pocket money to teach values as well as sums. These are values to talk about with your children, not rulings.

• Giving. A giving jar fits the hadith “the upper hand is better than the lower hand” (Sahih al-Bukhari 1427). Let your child choose where their giving goes.
• Moderation. The Qur’an describes people who, when they spend, are neither wasteful nor stingy, but keep a balance between the two (Qur’an 25:67). It is a good line to discuss when a child wants to spend everything at once, or nothing at all.
• Saving with a purpose. Parents interviewed by Khaleej Times in 2024 ask children to save up to 50% of their pocket money.

Can my child have a bank account in the UAE?

A parent or guardian usually opens a child’s account and runs it until the child is an adult. These are facts about who can open each account, not recommendations. Terms, fees and minimum balances change, so check with the bank before you apply.

In 2022, Gulf News listed other examples, including Emirates Islamic’s child savings account (from 6 months to 18 years) and ADIB’s Amwali account (8 to 18), and noted that ADIB’s Banoon account for under-13s needed an opening deposit of Dh1,000. Treat that list as dated.

Turning 18. Khaleej Times reported in January 2026 that the new Civil Transactions Law lowers the age of legal adulthood from 21 lunar years to 18 Gregorian years, and that 18-year-olds can open bank accounts without a parent’s consent. Banks may still apply their own checks.