Watch: Two Indian expats win $1 million each in Dubai Duty Free draw
Two others win Ducati and BMW motorbikes in Finest Surprise draw
DUBAI: Two Indian nationals are celebrating life-changing victories after becoming the latest millionaires in the Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire draw.
The lucky winners were announced on Tuesday during the Series 505 and 506 draws held at Concourse D of Dubai International Airport.
New Indian millionaires
Amin Virani, a 69-year-old Indian national based in Lubumbashi, Congo, secured the winning ticket number 0864 in Series 505. He purchased the ticket online on June 4. A retired father of two, Virani has been trying his luck in the promotion for three years.
“I didn’t expect to win. This will greatly help me with my retirement plans,” he said, overwhelmed by the $1 million windfall.
Joining him in celebration is Peter D’Silva, a 45-year-old Indian expat residing in Ajman, who won the same amount in Series 506 with ticket number 2593. He bought the ticket online on June 12.
D’Silva, a father of two, has lived in Ajman since 2011 and works as a facility manager at an engineering firm in Dubai. “Big thanks Dubai Duty Free. It’s a dream come true, I’m very grateful for this win,” he remarked.
With their wins, Virani and D’Silva become the 252nd and 253rd Indian nationals, respectively, to scoop up $1 million each in the Millennium Millionaire promotion since it began in 1999.
Motorbike magic
Following the main draw, Dubai Duty Free also hosted the Finest Surprise draw, where two more Indian nationals bagged luxury motorbikes.
Mohammed Ebrahim, a 53-year-old Indian resident of Jebel Ali, won a Ducati Monster SP with ticket number 0771 in Series 627. A logistics officer and father of three, he has been a frequent participant in the promotion over the past decade.
“Thank you, Dubai Duty Free for running such promotion. I’m very happy for this win,” said Ebrahim.
In Series 628, another Indian expat, Rukkunu Deen, took home a BMW R12 motorbike with ticket number 0823. He had also purchased his ticket online on June 12, but organisers have yet to reach him.