The man, who has called the emirate home for more than three decades, described the moment of realisation as joyous. He immediately shared the news with his wife, whose happiness matched his own. While he has not yet finalised his plans for the prize, a holiday to Japan appears to be a likely destination.
Encouraging others, he emphasised perseverance: “Keep trying—you never know when something could happen,” he said, urging fellow hopefuls not to lose faith.
This win follows a pattern of Indian expatriates striking it lucky in UAE lotteries. In July, two friends from Thrissur each pocketed Dh100,000 after entering the same Lucky Chance draw together. The pair had been buying tickets for five months and chose to split the winnings equally. Earlier, another Indian expat celebrated a Dh100,000 win through a Scratch Cards game, expressing a wish to use the money wisely for his future.
Beyond these smaller prizes, high-value lottery stories continue to emerge. In May, Venugopal Mullacheri of Kasaragod claimed the $1 million Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire jackpot after 15 years of trying. That same month witnessed an even more remarkable feat: Paul Jose Mavely, a 60‑year‑old expatriate who has lived in Dubai for 38 years, won the $1 million jackpot for a second time—this one shared among 17 friends—after first winning it in 2016.
Adding to the string of unusual luck, another Kerala‑born account manager, Ratheeshkumar Raveendran Nair, achieved two major wins in Dubai Duty Free’s draws. He first bagged a million‑dollar prize in 2019 and later drove home a BMW 740i M Sport six years later.
Meanwhile, broader lottery platforms in the UAE such as the Emirates Draw have also drawn attention. This draw operator, headquartered in Fujairah and established in 2021, offers global participants entry to multi‑million‑dirham prizes. By late 2023, it had created seven millionaires, awarded AED 168 million in prizes, and executed CSR initiatives like coral‑reef restoration.
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