UAE: Six Indian expats split Dh1-million Mahzooz prize

Dubai - Five of the winners hailed from the south Indian state of Kerala.

Six Indian expats have won the Dh1-million Mahzooz prize in the 20th weekly draw, walking away with Dh166,667 each. Five of them hailed from the south Indian state of Kerala.

Robert, one of the winners, was in quarantine when he got the news of hitting the jackpot. “This was the first time I participated in the draw. A few of my colleagues take part in it regularly so I decided to give it a try,” recalled the 69-year-old UAE resident.

“I was under quarantine so this news brought the much-needed cheer I was missing while in isolation,” he said.

Originally from Kerala, Robert has been living in the UAE over the past 40 years. He has two daughters, one lives in Abu Dhabi while the other is in the US.

When asked what he would do with the prize money, Robert said: “My daughter is getting married soon so I will gift her the money…For me, the money is good, but for her it will be great.”

Encouraging people to try their luck at the Mahzooz draw, he said: “To anyone considering participating, just do it and don’t wait. You’ll never know when your lucky day will come. I’m very thankful to Mahzooz.”

It turned out one of the other winners was Robert’s friend Muhamed, 35, who is also from Kerala. He has spent the past 12 years living in the Middle East, working in the insurance industry.

The father of three said: “I received an e-mail from Mahzooz and saw that I had won..I was very happy and quite surprised. These winnings will go a long way for me as I can now pay off some debts and invest in my children’s future.”

Among the six winners, Ibrahim Abdul was the only non-Keralite. The 34-year-old IT professional lives in Umm Al Quwain with his family.

“This win will be life-changing for me over the next few months,” said Ibrahim. “When I saw that I won, I knew that this wonderful prize will go a long way towards covering day-to-day expenses for my family.”

For those who missed out on last week’s live draw, entrants can participate in Mahzooz by registering via www.mahzooz.ae and purchasing Al Emarat bottles of water. Each bottle of water purchased for Dh35 is equivalent to one line of numbers for the draw. The donation is channelled through Mahzooz’s partners to supply water to those in need. The next draw will be held as scheduled on Saturday, April 17, at 9pm UAE time.

• Dubai