UAE Lottery: Meet the Kerala father who turned family birthdays into a Dh30 million jackpot
Maintenance technician from India plans daughter’s education and charitable housing projects
DUBAI – A 52-year-old maintenance technician from Kerala has become the second-ever winner of The UAE Lottery's Dh30 million Grand Prize after selecting numbers inspired by the birthdays of the three people closest to him.
The life-changing win came in the Lucky Day Draw, making Sunil Kumar Sadasivan the latest resident to claim the lottery's top prize. His ticket, bought alongside a friend, transformed a simple family-inspired decision into one of the biggest lottery victories in the UAE.
Rather than relying on random numbers, Sunil chose dates that held deep personal meaning: his daughter's birthday, followed by his own and then his wife's. The combination proved successful, earning him the Dh30 million jackpot during the Lucky Day Draw.
Sunil said the idea came naturally. "I thought, why not use the dates that matter most to me? I started with my daughter's birthday, then added mine, then my wife's birthday," he shared.
Meet Sunil Kumar Sadasivan, The UAE Lottery’s newest AED 30,000,000 Grand Prize winner.????
— The UAE Lottery (@theuaelottery) July 13, 2026
The 52-year-old maintenance technician from India chose numbers inspired by the birthdays of the three people closest to his heart: his daughter, his wife, and himself. ✨
“I want to… pic.twitter.com/o1PUSZbFcK
The winning ticket was purchased on a Wednesday with a friend he had only recently begun playing alongside. The pair had received an encouraging start after winning Dh100 with their first Wednesday ticket the previous week. Motivated by that small success, they entered the next draw, where their second ticket delivered the Grand Prize.
The UAE Lottery's Lucky Day Draw offers a fresh Dh30 million Grand Prize and a Dh5 million Second Prize every Wednesday and Saturday, along with three guaranteed Dh50,000 Lucky Chance prizes in every draw.
Shock discovery
Sunil discovered he had won after returning to his room following work.
He checked the lottery results on his phone at around 9.45pm, shortly after the draw, expecting nothing more than another modest prize.
"I had only expected a small prize. When I saw the winning numbers, I was in complete shock," he said.
Unable to believe what he was seeing, he immediately showed the ticket to a friend for confirmation before calling his wife with the news.
According to Sunil, his wife's first reaction reflected the family's modest lifestyle.
"My wife has no big desires. Her wish has always been to live an ordinary life. When we won this amount, she asked, 'What will we do?' We come from an ordinary family, so we believe we should do whatever we can for other people," he said.
Future plans
The winning numbers carried even greater emotional significance because of the family's journey. Sunil said his seven-year-old daughter was born after 12 years of hope and expensive medical treatment, a period that left the family facing financial difficulties.
"If my daughter is watching this, I want her to know that her father and mother have lived and waited for her. My biggest dream is to educate my daughter and see her become a doctor one day," he said.
Despite the size of the prize, Sunil said one of the first things he plans to do is buy a gift for his daughter before using the money to improve his family's future.
He also intends to complete the construction of the family home and reduce his workload after years of continuous employment.
"I've worked since I was young. Now, I'll take some rest," he said.
His plans also extend beyond his own family. Sunil said he hopes to use part of the winnings to help people he knows who are struggling without homes.
"There are a few people I know who don't have homes, and I would like to build houses for them," he said.
Sunil described The UAE Lottery as a trustworthy platform and encouraged others to participate, saying opportunities can arrive unexpectedly.
Lucky Day Draws are held every Wednesday and Saturday at 9.30pm, offering participants the chance to win the Dh30 million Grand Prize, the Dh5 million Second Prize and three guaranteed Dh50,000 Lucky Chance prizes in every draw.
The UAE Lottery said all of its games operate under the regulation of the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority, with a focus on responsible gaming and providing a safe and transparent experience for participants. Tickets for upcoming Lucky Day Draws are available through the official lottery platform.