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Big Ticket Abu Dhabi: Pakistani man wins Dh15 million grand prize in live draw
Hosts Richard and Bouchra called the winner in Pakistan, who was wary that this might have been a spam call
- PUBLISHED: Thu 3 Sept 2026, 8:58 PM UPDATED: Thu 3 Sept 2026, 10:57 PM
Shaukat Aftab, a resident of Pakistan, won the grand prize of Dh15 million at Big Ticket Abu Dhabi's September live draw on Thursday, while a UAE expat from Kerala won the Dream Car. Five more winners each received Dh100,000 during the same draw.
As Aftab emerged as the jackpot winner of the night with the winning ticket number 245556, Big Ticket hosts Richard and Bouchra called him in Pakistan to inform him of his win.
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"I am not understanding what you are saying," Aftab said as he took the call. The hosts reminded him that he had bought a ticket on August 4, and said, "You have just won Dh15 million!"
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There was a loud exclamation from Aftab, when he realised what had just happened, and then proceeded to thank the hosts profusely.
"Thank you very much, thank you, love you, so grateful. I am so happy right now, but I am not sure this is a legal call," he went on to add.
Richard admitted it was a valid concern, given that such spam calls are quite common, and asked Aftab to go to either Big Ticket's YouTube channel or the website to verify his win.
Last month, Reynaldo Herboso, a Filipino expat who has been living in Dubai since 1988, won the Dh20 million grand prize during the live draw. Herboso was the one who pulled out Aftab's winning ticket from a glass box during the draw at the Big Ticket studio.
Aftab, a 64-year-old businessman from Pakistan, first heard about Big Ticket 15 years ago and has continued purchasing tickets ever since, sometimes buying two tickets at a time. While he has previously participated alongside a group of friends, the winning ticket was purchased by him alone.
Dream Car winner
Ravindranathan Vinesh, a 55-year-old accountant from Kerala, who has called Sharjah home for nearly 30 years, won a Land Rover Defender. Having lived in the UAE for most of his adult life, he has made it a habit to purchase a ticket every month, sometimes directly and sometimes with a group of friends.
With his wife currently in India with their daughter, who is completing her studies, and his son having recently returned to India after completing his studies, the win comes as a memorable moment for him and his family.
“When I got the winning call, I was confused because people used to call me for promotions and it would show Big Ticket, but this time it didn’t,” he shared. Following the call, his son checked the live draw on YouTube to confirm and that’s when he found out that he had won, making the winning call an even bigger surprise.
Reflecting on his win, he expressed his gratitude to the UAE, saying, “I’ve been living in the UAE for the last 30 years, and this country has given us a lot and the country has given me this gift and the opportunity to participate in Big Ticket.”
Four Indians and one Bangladesh nationals also won Dh100,000 each. They are:
Shiblin Sarfraz (India)
Suresh Kumar (India)
Mullapulli Praveen Babu (India)
Sandeepkumar Nanera (India)
Mohammed Rafiqul Islam Ahmed Meah Talukder (Bangladesh)
Big Ticket has announced a grand prize of Dh20 million for the month of September, alongwith a line-up of cash prices, giving multiple players a chance to win big at the October 3 live draw.
