Emirates Draw on a mission to give back to the UAE community

All it takes is Dh50 for participants to have the opportunity to win life-changing cash prizes from Emirates Draw and join the 12,000 winners that have already won since its inception in September 2021.

The socially responsible UAE-based organisation, which was established with a mission to give back to the UAE’s community through its dedicated commitment to the environment, is keen to bring real change in life of participants through its weekly draws on every Sunday at 9pm UAE time.

The concept for Emirates Draw was inspired by the country’s new era of hope and openness, which emerged out of recent challenges, such as the ongoing pandemic, as well as government-led cultural changes.

“We are proud of our commitment to positively changing people’s lives while also supporting the government’s efforts to preserve the UAE’s rich marine environment,” Mohammad Behroozian Alawadhi, managing partner at Emirates Draw, told Khaleej Times in an exclusive interview.

The private organisation is currently offering participants the opportunity to win a life-changing grand prize, in addition to the prize amounts available through its weekly live draw, which features two separate drawings. The first is a raffle draw with seven guaranteed winners who win Dh77,777 each, while the second draw features six prize categories including the Dh100 million grand prize.

“The original grand prize was Dh77 million, which we rolled over weekly until it reached Dh100 million, where it currently stands. Once a lucky winner, or winners, claim their prize, it will reset to our original amount of Dh77 million,” explained Alawadhi.

To a question, he said the amount of prize money varies on a weekly basis. “We can only see it growing from here on and to date we have handed over Dh15 million in prize money to over 12,000 winners,” he said.

Passionate about gaming

Alawadhi said Emirates Draw partners are passionate about bringing their wealth of experience in the gaming industries of the UK and US to ensure that “we operate to the highest international best practices” while also following the UAE government’s rules and regulations.

The organisation had previously clarified that its activities are not considered to be gambling by the authorities because participants purchase a pencil which supports planting of coral polyps as part of its corporate social responsibility programme, and in turn have the option to enter the raffle draw for free.

“We are a CSR environmentally-driven entertainment company and as such we will always look to explore and expand the entertainment value of our business which will generate additional revenue for our CSR initiatives,” he said.

“Our vision is to give the opportunity to as many different segments of the population as possible. In that, we will always work on improving our social commitment and prizes,” he added.

Legal, financial advice to winners

Emirates Draw will connect the grand prize winner(s) with trusted teams of legal and financial partners who will provide advice and guidance on how to best manage their winnings, including a potential investment plan. Since participation for Emirates Draw is open for UAE residents and those living abroad, should the grand prize holder(s) of the winning numbers be living outside the country, the organisation will arrange for them to travel to the UAE to claim their prize.

“We take our responsibility towards our grand prize winner(s) seriously. This is why our dedicated team of experts were carefully selected to ensure that the guidance provided with the winner’s best interest in mind,” Alawadhi said.

He said the team will advise them on the best way forward based on their goals and will also provide a range of investment opportunities, including those available in the UAE, should they wish to invest in the country.

Dh15 million awarded

To date, Emirates Draw has given out a total of Dh15 million to over 12,000 participants from all walks of life, such the raffle winner Mohamed Usman, who recently won Dh77,777.

“I actually won Dh77 two weeks ago when I matched two numbers [out of seven],” the 31-year-old from Sri Lanka said.

“My wife saw my expression and even though I tried not to say anything to her, she took my phone and was very happy when she read my message. I wanted to surprise her, but it didn’t work out,” Usman, who works as a salesperson, added.

The father of two plans to use his winnings to pay off some loans and gift his wife some jewellery.

Planting of over 3,000 coral polyps

Along with positively changing participants’ lives, the organisation recently celebrated the planting of over 3,000 coral polyps by 300 divers across different areas in Khorfakkan in Sharjah and Dibba in Fujairah as part of Emirates Draw’s Coral Reef Regeneration programme.

A community-driven activity that was launched in December 2021, the initiative aims to plant 48,000 coral polyps to support the UAE’s efforts to preserve coral reefs across the region. It is also a reflection of the government’s commitment to sustainability, whilst improving coastal society, economy, and securing generations to come for a better tomorrow.

Volunteers from across the UAE have already begun to make a difference, and Emirates Draw continues to extend an invitation to nature lovers to be a part of this unique CSR programme. Every planting event means that more of the country’s beautiful marine environment is preserved, while also providing stunning underwater views.

“Supporting the country’s environment, especially its rich marine life, is something that’s a core facet of Emirates Draw. That’s why a substantial percentage of our earnings is dedicated towards CSR initiatives and good causes along with the prize money that’s given out weekly,” said Alawadhi.

He said that the organisation is seeking to expand their CSR programme to support additional environmental initiatives and that the percentage dedicated will depend on each activity.

— muzaffarrizvi@khaleejtimes.com