Albert Einstein reportedly called compound interest the "eighth wonder of the world." Whether or not he said it, the maths is remarkable: money grows exponentially, not linearly, when interest is reinvested.
The Rule of 72: Divide 72 by your annual interest rate to find roughly how many years it takes to double your money. At 6%, it takes 72/6 = 12 years. At 8%, it takes 9 years. At 12%, just 6 years.
Compounding frequency matters: The more often interest is compounded, the faster money grows. Daily compounding earns slightly more than monthly, which earns more than annual — though the difference is modest for most savings rates.
Start early, contribute regularly: Time is the most powerful factor. AED 10,000 invested at 6% for 30 years grows to AED 57,435. Adding just AED 500/month on top grows the total to AED 550,000+. Starting 10 years later cuts the final value nearly in half.