Dubai Financial Market (DFM) financed an Educational Trading Floor at the American University in Dubai (AUD) as part of its commitment towards social responsibility. The two sides entered into an agreement to develop programs that enhance students’ knowledge of financial markets and how they operate. Prior to this initiative, DFM has also supported two similar projects at Sharjah University.

As a simpler version of DFM’s main trading floor, the new educational facility at the School of Business Administration at AUD includes screens, tickers designed and installed by Wavetec. These digital signage solutions are directly linked to DFM’s trading engine to display trading activity and real time market data. Wavetec has already installed complete digital signage solution at DFM which includes LED Display Screens and tickers. Moreover, Wavetec has also helped DFM in setting up “Stock Game”, a real simulation of the stock market. This is an online interactive portal which allows any user to trade stocks freely without risking any money.

The trading floor designed at American University in Dubai reflects the precise look and feel of DFM’s trading floor. As part of its plans to enhance the effectiveness of the educational trading floor DFM plans to regularly organize interactive workshops in cooperation with renowned experts to train students and deepen their knowledge of financial markets. The installation was widely praised by students and lecturers for its key role in promoting financial knowledge and merging theoretical studies with real life experience.

Essa Kazim, Chairman of DFM said

“DFM has pioneered the concept of educational trading floors regionally, which demonstrates our full commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility on various levels and particularly through high level collaborations with educational institutions in the UAE to fully support their efforts and provide the necessary training for students to prepare them for the job market. This initiative is a key pillar of the DFM educational program aimed at preparing the new generation of investors. The students can follow live trading and participate in the DFM Stock Game and win competition prizes. Most importantly, the planned workshops and seminars will provide them the opportunity to directly interact with financial experts”.

DFM is planning to establish new educational trading floors at other campuses within the coming period. The enormous success and warm welcome of these educational trading floors by students and the academic community in general and its outstanding contribution in linking theoretical studies with practice and introducing students to stock market sector have been the key drivers to plan for new educational trading floors.