Syrian wins $1 million at Dubai Duty Free raffle

Riad Anka Esmail, a Dubai-based Syrian national, became the lucky winner of Dubai Duty Free as his ticket number 4317 drew $1 million in the latest Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire Promotion in Series no. 293 earlier on Tuesday.

The 40-year-old businessman purchased his winning ticket on January 7 while travelling to Syria for a holiday. A resident of Dubai for almost five years now, Esmail was understandably nervous and excited at the same time and said: "It was my sixth ticket in the million-dollar promotion and can't believe that I have actually won. This is a great surprise."   

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Esmail is the seventh Syrian national to have won $1 million since its launch in 1999. After the Millennium Millionaire draw, a presentation to a previous winner, Abhishek Kathel, also took place. 

Kathel, an Indian national based in Sharjah and working as cabin crew for Air Arabia, bought his first-ever ticket in Series 292 from The Craft Shop at The Irish Village. 

Delighted to come for the presentation, he said: "This win has given me the chance to pursue everything I have ever dreamt of. I am so thankful to Dubai Duty Free."

Ramesh Chandra, a Dubai-based Indian national, won a BMW S 1000 R motorbike in Series 357 with ticket number 0390, while Ammar, a Saudi national, won the top of the range Bentley Bentayga V8 in Series 1709 - ticket number 0646.