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Dh200,000 Big Ticket win for 4 expats from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan
While an expat from Pakistan won after 10 years of trying, another from India found success after just five months of buying tickets
- PUBLISHED: Thu 19 Feb 2026, 11:12 AM
Big Ticket Abu Dhabi's second weekly e-draw for February 2026 has changed the lives of four expats from Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan, as each of them have won Dh50,000.
While an expat from Pakistan won after 10 years of trying, another from India living in Abu Dhabi found success after five months of buying tickets.
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Here's how each of the winners reacted when they found out their wait had finally paid off.
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Riasat Khan
Riasat Khan from Pakistan is celebrating his Big Ticket e-draw win after participating consistently every month for the past 10 years. He purchased the winning ticket alongside a group of 10 colleagues, making the moment even more special as a shared achievement.
Riasat shared, "I've been purchasing tickets for the last 10 years. For the first five years, I was part of one group, and then I joined another. I’ve taken part in all the series, from cash prizes to the Dream Car draws. When I received the winning call, it was a truly happy moment because this win belongs to all of us. It has strengthened our trust and belief in Big Ticket and showed us that dreams do come true.”
Riasat confirmed that the cash prize will be split among the group, and they plan to continue participating in future draws. He encouraged others to remain consistent and keep trying their luck.
Shiva Prasad Rijal
Shiva Prasad, a 39-year-old originally from Nepal, has been living and working in Dubai for the past 18 years. He first learned about Big Ticket through his colleagues and has been participating alongside them ever since.
Sharing his journey, Shiva said, “In my company, my colleagues have been purchasing Big Ticket entries for the past four to five years. Last year, I decided to join them. We are a group of 25 people and we purchase tickets almost every month. This time, the ticket was under my name and to my surprise, we won. When I received the winning call, I couldn't believe it, I was incredibly happy."
Speaking about what's next, he added, "We plan to split the cash prize among the group and will continue purchasing tickets together."
Gregory Shomir Gomes
Gregory Shomir, a 51-year-old Head of Project Support Office, has been living in Qatar for the past 22 years. He first learned about Big Ticket through friends and has been participating for the last four years as part of a group of 14, purchasing tickets together every month.
Sharing his experience, Gregory said, “I didn’t have my phone with me when the winning call came through, but I did receive the email. When I informed the group, we were all hesitant to believe it at first. We immediately checked the official Big Ticket website to confirm, and once we did, the excitement truly kicked in.”
He added, “We’ll be splitting the prize among the group, and with my share, I plan to do a bit of shopping. We’ll definitely continue purchasing tickets together, and we encourage everyone to keep trying and not give up.”
Nibin K. Mathew
Nibin Mathew, a 36-year-old engineer originally from Kerala, has been living in Abu Dhabi for the past six years. He first heard about Big Ticket through a friend and began participating five months ago as part of a group of 20.
Sharing his excitement, Nibin said, “When I received the winning call and was told about the win, I was overwhelmed with happiness. This is the first time in my life that I’ve won something like this, so it truly feels like a special moment for me.”
He added, “We’ll be splitting the prize among the group, and with my share, I plan to support my family. I will continue trying my luck with Big Ticket."
Big Ticket's February campaign kicked off with a Dh15 million grand prize, set to be awarded during the live draw on March 3. Consolation prizes of Dh100,000 each will also be awarded to five winners, reinforcing February as one of the most rewarding months in the draw's calendar.
