"It is no secret that the Saudi youth, or any youth for that matter, requires guidance and hand-holding when it comes to managing their financial matters," Derayah's Managing Director Mohammed El-Kuwaiz told Arab News.

The reasons for a lack of education involving financial matters, according to El-Kuwaiz, has to do with a more slow and steady approach eventually leading to nest egg savings as well as investment providers pushing products with a high return and high risks as means of achieving financial goals, without paying equal attention to the importance of saving early as an equal partner in financial success.

To counter these stumbling blocks Derayah explains why they have launched such a campaign.

"Derayah has taken an aggressive approach to owning this initiative to educate the youth in being prepared to face the uncertain future. Like all global youth, the Saudi youth have dreams and aspirations and we have made ourselves available to offer ways to increase the skills and discipline to make those dreams come true," El-Kuwaiz said.

One of the first steps Derayah recommend is to create achievable goals.

"As an independent investment service provider, Derayah strongly encourages its young clients to make their own decisions using the comprehensive set of tools available on our website (www.derayah.com)," he said.

"We teach them to shop for and compare the various options available to them. Ala'Itisal, our customer service center, is available to take on any questions or support required. Our team of licensed financial advisors can also be made available for consultations and feedback. Derayah recognizes that to make an effective change in the savings culture of the Saudi youth, we need to be present and active whether the times are good or bad. Only then will we be able to truly empower our young investors to shield themselves against economic uncertainties."

To get the word out, Derayah has set up kiosks at Granada Mall in Riyadh and at Al-Rashid Mall in Dammam and will, according to El-Kuwaiz, have a kiosk set up at Red Sea Mall in Jeddah by mid-May.

"This campaign has experienced very good success in terms of instilling an overall awareness and the importance of creating savings plans. The majority of visitors to our kiosks find our products and services to be very interesting and useful," El-Kuwaiz said.

Highlighting the need for educational programs similar to Derayah's, a MasterCard survey in 2009 shows that only 31 percent of male consumers in Saudi Arabia between the ages of 18 and 30 plan to save more over the next six months, compared to 18 percent of women in the same age bracket.

Overall, 64 percent of Saudi Arabian consumers said they are planning to save for buying major purchases such as property, cars or motorcycles and consumer electronics.

"Our advisory services have proven to be a starting point for many to plan for their financial goals. Whether it is to save for their children's education or to buy a home, clients appreciate that Derayah takes an unbiased, independent approach to helping them realize their goals," said El-Kuwaiz.