Dubai: 54 Indian, Pakistani, Filipino expats win $1 million in latest Duty Free draw

A group of 54 expats of different nationalities but all working for the same company has won $1 million during the Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire Promotion draw on Wednesday.

The lucky ticket holder, Sanjay Lalla, 54, from India, said the winning ticket number 3837 was purchased on February 28 at The Irish Village in Garhoud during the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

A resident of Dubai for 29 years, Lalla and his colleagues comprising of Indian, Pakistani, Filipino and Sri Lankan nationals, who are all working at dnata, have been participating in the promotion for a year now.

A father of two, Mr. Lalla, who works as a service delivery officer for dnata and hails from Delhi in India, is the 208th Indian national to have won $1 million since the start of the Millennium Millionaire promotion in 1999.

“Everyone in our group contributes Dh50 each every month to buy tickets, and the leaders of our group alternate the name on the ticket for each series whenever we purchase,” Lalla told Khaleej Times.

“Thank you so much Dubai Duty Free! We are all very grateful and happy for this win!” he added.

Other winners

Meanwhile, Hassan Al Mustafa, a 49-year-old Syrian national based in Dubai, won a Mercedes Benz S500 (Diamond White) car, with ticket number 0358 he purchased online on February 28 for the Finest Surprise Series 1833. Born and raised in Dubai, he has been a regular participant in the Dubai Duty Free promotion for 10 years now.

• UAE: Kenyan nursing award winner opens school with prize money