Munavar Fairoos, a private driver in Al Ain, hit the jackpot ahead of New Year and won the Dh20-million grand prize in the latest Big Ticket Live draw. Munavar will share the prize with a group of 30 people who pitched in to buy the ticket.
Previously a resident of Abu Dhabi, the loyal Big Ticket customer says he has been buying tickets every month for the past five years and was shocked to learn of his big win.
When asked about his plans for the winnings, the Indian expat expressed uncertainty, stating, “I’m not sure yet because I really did not expect this to happen. I’m still shocked and will need to take some time to think about my options.” The grand prize, purchased with a group of 30 people, will be evenly distributed among them.
During the December 31 afternoon’s live draw, ten lucky winners of Indian, Palestinian, Lebanese, and Saudi Arabian nationalities were also announced, each taking home cash prizes worth Dh100,000.
On the same day, Suthesh Kumar Kumaresan was named the fourth weekly e-draw winner for the month of December, taking home Dh1 million. The Abu Dhabi resident who works as an engineer for Etihad Airways says he stops by the in-store counters at Abu Dhabi International Airport to buy his tickets each time he travels.
In keeping with this tradition, he bought his winning ticket on his way back to the UAE from a vacation he took with his family. “It was my seven-year-old daughter who actually chose the winning ticket numbers,” he told Big Ticket’s representatives. “My family is very excited about the win. We bought a home in India and plan to use the money to pay off the interest.”
During the month of January, one lucky individual will be named the grand prize winner and walk away with Dh15 million during the live draw on February 3. Customers who purchase their Dream Car tickets beginning on January 1 will also have a chance to take home a Maserati Grecale on March 3.
