Dubai Duty Free ushers in New Year 2026 with three US$1 million winners
Historic first Costa Rican winner among latest millionaires
DUBAI – Dubai Duty Free welcomed the New Year with a high-profile draw at Concourse B of Dubai International Airport on New Year’s Eve, announcing three new US$1 million winners under its Millennium Millionaire promotion.
The celebratory event also produced four luxury vehicle winners through the Finest Surprise draw, marking a strong start to 2026 for participants from across the globe.
The grand year ends with the spectacular draw! Three winners will walk into 2026 as millionaires – including the first ever Costa Rican national! Joining them are four holders of the lucky Finest Surprise tickets who will welcome the New Year in luxury vehicles. Wishing all… pic.twitter.com/vFF33Kdiwy
— Dubai Duty Free (@DubaiDutyFree) December 31, 2025
The draws formed part of Dubai Duty Free’s long-running promotions, which continue to attract millions of travellers every year.
Millionaire winners
The first US$1 million prize of the night went to Adan Jose Camacho Sanchez, a Costa Rican national based in Costa Rica, who won Millennium Millionaire Series 528 with ticket number 3884, purchased online on December 17. His win marked a milestone for the promotion, making him the first Costa Rican national to become a Millennium Millionaire since the programme began in 1999. He was unavailable for comment at the time of the draw.
The second millionaire announced was Santhosh Madhavan Chimminiyah Oyathi, a 51-year-old Indian national living in Sharjah. He won Millennium Millionaire Series 529 with ticket number 0470, purchased online on December 20 during Dubai Duty Free’s 42nd anniversary celebrations. A UAE resident for 30 years, he works for a construction company in Sharjah, hails from Kerala and is a father of two. He shared the cost of the winning ticket with a friend and described the win as the best New Year news he could have hoped for.
Completing the trio was Santhoshkumar Vazhakkodan, a 33-year-old Indian national based in Abu Dhabi, who won Millennium Millionaire Series 530 with ticket number 2122, also bought online on December 20 during the anniversary campaign. A UAE resident for 11 years, he works as a procurement manager at a contracting company and shared the ticket with seven family members. Originally from Kerala, he is a father of one and said the prize would make a significant difference for his family.
Draw officials
The New Year’s Eve draw was conducted by Dubai Duty Free Managing Director Ramesh Cidambi, alongside Deputy Managing Director Salah Tahlak and senior members of the management team, including heads of purchasing, finance, IT, retail support, human resources, marketing and exchange bureau operations.
Following the draw, Dubai Duty Free also held a ceremonial cheque presentation for a previous winner. Manu Van Droogenbroeck, a Belgian national based in Dubai, received his US$1 million cheque after winning Millennium Millionaire Series 525 with ticket number 1810. His victory made him the second Belgian national to win the promotion since its launch in 1999, and he attended the event to witness the draw process.
Luxury vehicles
The celebrations continued with the Finest Surprise draw, which awarded four luxury vehicles. Fahmi Alshawwa, a 50-year-old Canadian national living in Dubai, won a Range Rover SE P360 with ticket number 1102 in Finest Surprise Series 1944. A UAE resident for 23 years, he is the founder of a Dubai-based 3D printing company and chose the winning number based on his daughter’s birthday.
Three luxury motorbikes were also won by participants who purchased tickets during the 42nd anniversary campaign on December 20. Gopakumar Muralidharan Nair, a 48-year-old Indian national and Dubai-based real estate business owner, won an Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 in Finest Surprise Series 650. Shakir Mohamood, a 43-year-old Indian national from Abu Dhabi working as a driver for Emirates Transport, won a BMW F 900 GS in Series 651. Trevelyn Waung, a 47-year-old Indian national living in Dubai and a long-time participant since 2004, won an Aprilia Tuono V4 Factory 1100 in Series 652.