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'This will fix everything': UAE expat with mounting debts wins Dh1 million lottery
After months of financial struggles, Ajman resident Ali Nihad hits the lottery jackpot with numbers tied to his daughter's birth month and family dates
- PUBLISHED: Mon 15 Sept 2025, 5:11 PM UPDATED: Thu 18 Sept 2025, 1:01 PM
For 35-year-old Iraqi expat Ali Nihad Abdulateef Al Tayyar, the past six months were some of the hardest he has faced since moving to the UAE in 2019.
Business was slow, debts were mounting, and he often found himself worrying about the future. Then, on Monday (September 8), his life took a sudden turn. Ali became the fourth winner of Dh1 million in the UAE Lottery, a prize he described as “exactly at the right time.”
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“It was a feeling beyond words, between believing and not believing,” Ali told Khaleej Times in an exclusive interview at the prize room of the UAE Lottery. “This money has lifted a huge weight off my shoulders. It’s been a rough path the past six months; this will fix everything."
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At first, Ali did not even realise he had won. The draw took place on Saturday, September 6, but Ali didn’t notice that his numbers were the winning ones. “I only realised on Monday when I logged in again,” he recalled, describing how his phone screen flashed the word WINNER with confetti spilling across it. “It was an unreal feeling.”
“I was at my office, and when I saw the result, I couldn’t sit still. I went home right away to share the news with my wife,” he said. “What’s really funny is that I had logged in on Monday to buy another ticket and try again."
The lucky numbers, 5..11..14
The ‘day’ and ‘month’ numbers Ali chose weren’t random but tied to personal milestones. “I picked my daughter’s birth month, which is number 5 and 11, which is my father’s birthday, and 14, my own. The rest, I left to destiny,” he said. He noted that he never repeated the exact numbers, constantly changing them around, but this time he sat down and thought about it.
The win came in the latest draw of the UAE Lottery, the country’s first and only regulated lottery, which launched in November last year. It has quickly become a fixture, offering jackpots of up to Dh100 million and prizes ranging from Dh100 to Dh100 million depending on the number of matches. To play, residents must be aged 18 and above and physically present in the UAE at the time of participation.
Consistency and persistence
Ali, who has been living in the UAE for five years, runs Wajeh Al Jamal Perfumes & Cosmetic Trading in Ajman. He has been taking part in the lottery since December, usually buying tickets with his wife every two weeks. He calls it a “small investment,” setting aside around Dh200 a month. “I just believed that I would win,” he recalled.
Married with a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter and another baby on the way, Ali already knows where the money will go: into his perfume-making business. “This industry has been in my family since 1985. I want to expand our manufacturing and grow from here,” he said.
Looking back, Ali said the journey taught him the value of persistence. “I never stopped trying. For months, I kept playing, and I always told myself: You play responsibly, within your limits, and you leave the rest to God. This time, it was my turn.”
Waad Barakat is a senior reporter covering lifestyle and entertainment. From fine dining and fashion to exclusive premieres and celebrity interviews, she reports on the trends, people, and stories shaping culture in the UAE. With a keen eye for human interest and mental health stories, she aims to blend meaningful storytelling with a fresh Gen Z perspective.