An Indian expat living in Dubai recently woke up to a life-changing phone call — winning a gold bar worth nearly Rs 29 lakh. Nithin Kunnath Raju had frequently entered such raffles while living in the Middle East over the past decade. But this was the first time that he had actually won a prize from the weekly Big Ticket e-draw.
The surprise call came from the lottery host — informing Raju that he had won a 250g 24K gold bar worth a whopping 120,000 Dirhams (approximately Rs 28.93 lakh).
“I just woke up…Are you sure?? Oh, man. Thank you!” Gulf News quoted him as saying.
The Indian expat revealed that he had been trying his luck at the raffle for quite some time — sharing tickets among friends and hoping against hope for a major win.
“I share tickets with my friends. We’re a group of 10 people. We have been buying through random accounts,” he told Gulf News.
Indian man wins Rs 240 crore in UAE
Another Indian expat living in Abu Dhabi had also won big in late October — becoming an overnight multi-millionaire after hitting the largest-ever jackpot in the UAE. Andhra Pradesh resident Anilkumar Bolla had been living in the Middle Eastern city for several years and struck gold on October 18. According to Khaleej Times he had beaten odds of 1 in 8.8 million to win the massive prize.
The UAE Lottery also shared a glimpse of his life-changing win — showing the 29-year-old being showered with golden confetti as he received his ceremonial cheque.
“From anticipation to celebration, this is the reveal that changed everything! Anilkumar Bolla takes home AED 100 Million! A Lucky Day we’ll never forget. For Anilkumar, Oct. 18 wasn’t just another day; it was the day that changed everything,” the caption read.