E-Paper
Sign In
Filipina expat who won Dh5 million in UAE lottery says she used random numbers
The 38-year-old switched to randomly generated numbers through the UAE Lottery’s Easy Pick option, and that change eventually landed her the prize
- PUBLISHED: Mon 31 Aug 2026, 11:32 AM UPDATED: Tue 1 Sept 2026, 1:45 PM
For years, Zenn Ariane Garceles chose lottery numbers linked to birthdays, anniversaries and other dates that meant something to her family. Then she decided to stop.
The 38-year-old Filipina expat switched to randomly generated numbers through the UAE Lottery’s Easy Pick option, and that change eventually landed her a Dh5 million prize.
Recommended For You
“I have been taking part in The UAE Lottery since its launch. Usually, I would choose numbers connected to birthdays, anniversaries and other dates that are meaningful to my family,” Garceles told Khaleej Times.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
“Recently, I started using Easy Pick because I wanted to try something different, and the Dh5 million winning ticket was an Easy Pick.”
Garceles, who has lived in Dubai for 13 years, discovered the win almost by accident. She had earlier checked her email but found no notification about a prize. Later, while scrolling through Instagram, she saw a post saying somebody had won Dh5 million.
Curious to see the winning numbers, she logged into her UAE Lottery account.
“That’s when I received the message saying, ‘Congratulations, you have won AED 5 million.’ I just stared at it because I couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” she said.
Even Garceles and her husband struggled initially to process the amount on the screen. They eventually called close friends to help confirm that the win was real.
“Neither of us could process it at first. Once we knew for sure, we all burst into tears. It was an unforgettable moment, really,” she said.
Father’s reaction: ‘I knew it’
One of the first people Garceles wanted to share the news with was her father in the Philippines.
Instead of immediately telling him about the lottery prize, she first told him she wanted him to visit the family in Dubai.
“He asked me why, and that’s when I told him I had won AED 5 million,” she said.
His response surprised her. “He simply said, ‘I knew it’.”
According to The UAE Lottery, Garceles is its first female millionaire and the third person to win the Dh5 million second prize in the Lucky Day draw.
Disneyland, education and a car
Despite suddenly having millions of dirhams available to her, Garceles said her first thoughts were about her family rather than what she could buy for herself.
“My family. The first thing I thought about was everything I could now plan with them,” she said.
One of those plans involves fulfilling a wish her daughter has had for some time. “My daughter has always wanted to go to Disneyland, so that’s something I’m now looking forward to doing together.”
She also plans to put some of the money towards her children’s education, buy her husband a car and possibly invest in a business.
A former dental assistant, Garceles moved to the UAE from the Philippines 13 years ago. She met her husband in the country and later started a family here.
The lottery win, she said, has not made her think about leaving the UAE. “Dubai is home to me. I have lived here for 13 years, I met my husband here and we built our family here,” she said.
“Even before winning, I was not thinking about moving back to the Philippines. I feel comfortable in the UAE. It’s safe and this is where I see our family continuing to build our future.”
Dream of owning a Dubai home
One long-standing dream may now become possible: owning a home in Dubai. "I have always wanted us to have our own home in Dubai. It’s been a dream of mine for a long time,” Garceles said.
“We are now thinking about possibly buying an apartment here because this is where my family lives. I don’t need anything too big; an apartment would be enough for us.”
She said she plans to take her time before making major financial decisions and wants to manage the prize carefully.
“I would say be responsible with it. Money should be managed carefully and spent wisely,” she said.
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.