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Indian expat wins $1m Dubai raffle after trying his luck for 7 years
Aslam said he had lost count of the number of tickets he had purchased with his friends in the last seven years. However, it was the first time he had bought a ticket by himself.
A Sharjah resident for 11 years, Aslam works at the Emirates National Factory for Plastic Industries. Speaking to Khaleej Times after being named the winner of the raffle draw, he said: "Usually, I buy the tickets with a group of friends. This time I decided to purchase it on my own, and it worked."
Aslam's ticket number was 0369, a number he said he was "obsessed with".
"I tried getting a licence plate with the same number last year. It wasn't available back then. Thankfully, the number worked in my favour this time," he said.
The accountant also said February is an auspicious month for him, as good things had happened to him within the same period in previous years.
"I purchased the ticket on the first week of February. Since I've been doing this for a long time, I completely forgot about the draw date," he said.
"I received a call from Dubai Duty Free in the morning and they said I won. At first, I thought it was a prank. When I checked online and crossed-check the dates, I realised that I did win.
"When I told my wife about the win, she was sure I was playing a prank on her. Now, my family is very excited as well," said Aslam, who is also a father to a three-year-old boy named Islam.
The young accountant plans to travel to Kerala in a few days to be with his family.
"Once the dust settles, I also want to use this money to help people in need. All of this happened because it is God's will. In turn, I want to help those in need."
Aslam bought his winning ticket at The Irish Village Shop earlier this month and he is the 139th Indian national to have won $1 million since the draw was launched in 1999.
John Kurien John, a 56-year-old Indian national based in Dubai, won an Audi R8 RWS V10 Coupe (Daytona Grey). John, a director and part owner of Motherlines Shipping Company, bought his winning ticket on his way to Kerala for the New Year.
Another car winner, Hirohito Murai, a Japanese national from Kyoto, won a Mercedes Benz S560 (Diamond White).
An Indian Chief Vintage (Willow Green and Ivory) motorbike, on the other hand, was won by Ginny Banal, a Filipino based in Dubai. Lastly, Bangara Manjeshwar Abdulla, a 55-year-old Indian national in Sharjah, got a BMW R Nine T (Black) motorbike.
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com
Dhanusha Gokulan
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