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Mon, Jan 12, 2026 | Rajab 23, 1447 | Fajr 05:44 | DXB 
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Big Ticket Abu Dhabi winner vows not to touch his share of Dh25 million for 10 years
The Indian expat from Saudi was one of the 16 participants who contributed to the winning ticket purchased by his colleague
For Mohammed Rizwan CK, a 36-year-old Indian expat living in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, winning a share of the Dh25 million Big Ticket jackpot has brought joy, but he doesn’t have a single plan for spending the money. Instead, he has made one firm decision — he will not touch his portion of the money for at least 10 years.
Rizwan, originally from Kochi in Kerala, works as a health and safety officer on oil rigs in Al Khobar in Saudi Arabia. He was one of the 16 participants who contributed to the winning Big Ticket purchased by his colleague Rajan. While many winners speak about new homes, cars, or travel, Rizwan has no such ideas. For him, the winnings are strictly a retirement fund.
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“I will not use this money for daily expenses," he said. "I want to invest it properly in Abu Dhabi, in Saudi and places where it will grow. This is for my future. I don’t want to touch it for at least 10 years."
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Rizwan has been participating in Big Ticket since 2016, first with another group of colleagues. In 2022, after joining the same company where Rajan worked, he became part of the group participating in raffles. Over time, the group grew and settled at 16 committed members. “Many people joined in between and left,” he said. “But 16 of us stayed together.”
He learned about the win while shopping with his wife and son. “I suddenly saw around 60 messages in our WhatsApp group. I thought something serious had happened,” he said. “When I checked, someone had shared the video of the live draw. We watched it again and again and we couldn’t believe it.”
The win has left the entire team overwhelmed. “We haven’t celebrated yet because many of us work offshore. But we will soon. Everyone is still shocked,” he said.
With his parents in India and his young family in Saudi Arabia, Rizwan sees the prize as a chance to secure long-term stability. “This money is not for spending now. It is for the future, for retirement and for my family’s safety.”
SM Ayaz Zakir
SM Ayaz Zakir is a Senior Correspondent with a flair for extraordinary stories. His playground? Every corner of the UAE. He often ventures into remote corners of the country to capture compelling news and human interest stories.
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