Indian, Bangladeshi expats bag Dh1 million each in Big Ticket Abu Dhabi draw
February promises bigger prizes and weekly e-draw excitement
DUBAI – Two expatriates from India and Bangladesh have each won Dh1 million in the latest Big Ticket Series 283 draw, bringing celebrations across Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.
Kerala-born Dasan Kunchu, 43, an irrigation engineer based in Qatar, and Bangladeshi businessman Mohammed Alwaruddin Hajee Abu Syed, residing in Al Ain, both struck gold through persistent participation in the UAE’s longest-running raffle.
Kunchu, who discovered Big Ticket three years ago via social media campaigns, had been participating monthly in two groups of 10 members. “When the call came through, I simply couldn’t process it. The team had to work hard to convince me this was legitimate. Reality only hit when the confirmation email arrived,” he said. Kunchu plans to divide his Dh1 million prize equally among group members before deciding how to use his share.
For Mohammed Alwaruddin Hajee Abu Syed, the Dh1 million win after six years of consistent participation felt equally extraordinary. “I was completely shocked. After so many years of trying, I truly never expected this to happen,” he said. The Bangladeshi expat has been living in Al Ain for 21 years and purchased tickets monthly with a group of nine friends. Despite the long wait, he remains motivated to continue playing, inspired by the win.
Dh20 million jackpot
Last week, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) celebrated its newest multimillionaire as Shanthanu Shettigar, an Indian national living in Oman, won the Dh20 million Big Ticket Series 283 jackpot with ticket number 305810 purchased on 20 January.
During the live broadcast from Abu Dhabi, Richard from Big Ticket personally called Shettigar to deliver the news. That draw also included five additional Dh1 million prizes and a BMW X5 for the Dream Car Series.
Big Ticket draw
The next grand prize of Dh15 million will be drawn live on 3 March, alongside five consolation prizes of Dh100,000 each. Weekly E-Draws throughout February will see Dh50,000 awarded to four winners per draw, streamed live on the Big Ticket YouTube channel at 11am.
The weekly schedule is: purchases made from 1-8 February drawn on 9 February; 9-15 February drawn on 16 February; 16-22 February drawn on 23 February; and 23-28 February drawn on 1 March.
Adding to the excitement, The Big Win Contest offers customers who purchase two or more tickets in a single transaction between 1–24 February a chance to attend the live 3 March draw. Four participants will be selected to compete for guaranteed cash prizes ranging from Dh50,000 to Dh150,000, with winners announced on 1 March.
Dream Car series
The Big Ticket Dream Car Series continues, with a Range Rover Velar to be won on 3 March, followed by a Maserati Grecale draw on 3 April. Tickets are available online or at counters located at Zayed International Airport, Madinat Bin Zayed City, Morafiq Mussafah, and Al Ain Airport.