Two groups of Indian friends in the UAE have won $1 million each in the latest Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire and Finest Surprise draw, held at Concourse B of Dubai International Airport on Wednesday.
Fayad Ahamed, a 40-year-old Indian national based in Dubai, became a $1 million winner, in Millennium Millionaire Series 482 with ticket number 3266 which he purchased online on November 16.
A resident of Dubai for 12 years now, Ahamed shared the cost of the ticket with his 10 friends, who have been participating in the Dubai Duty Free promotion for three years now, alternating the name on the ticket for each series whenever they purchase.
Ahamed is a father of two and works as an IT support for an insurance company in Dubai.
“Thank you Dubai Duty Free, we are very grateful for this win,” he said.
Joining Ahamed as a fellow millionaire is Vinod Puthiya Purayil, a 29-year-old Indian national based in Dubai who was announced as the winner of $1 million in Millennium Millionaire Series 483 with ticket number 1880 which he purchased online on November 30.
A resident of Dubai for 10 years now, Purayil shared the ticket cost with his nine other friends, who have been participating in the Dubai Duty Free promotion for more than four years now, alternating the name on the ticket for each series whenever they purchase.
Purayil is soon to be a father and works as an equipment operator for Dnata. His wife is seven-months pregnant.
“Thank you so much Dubai Duty Free! This win will definitely help us a lot,” he said.
Ahamed and Purayil are the 241st and 242nd Indian nationals to have won the Millennium Millionaire promotion since 1999, respectively, with Indian nationals being the biggest buyers of tickets.
Following the Millennium Millionaire draw, the Finest Surprise draw was conducted for two luxury cars and one motorbike.
Rajasekaran Samaresan, a 43-year-old Indian national based in Dubai, won a Mercedes Benz AMG GT 43 (Opalite White) car, with ticket number 1138 in the Finest Surprise Series 1900, which he purchased online on December 6.
A regular participant in Dubai Duty Free's promotion for three years now, Samaresan is no stranger to winning with Dubai Duty Free as he also previously won a BMW R 1250 RS (White/Blue/Red Metallic) motorbike, with ticket number 1139 in Finest Surprise Series 586 in June this year.
Samaresan is a father of three and runs a small restaurant in Dubai International City.
Meanwhile, Sultan Mohamed Salim Alhamour, a 44-year-old Emirati national based in Dubai, won a Range Rover HSE P400 (Ostuni Pearl White) car, with ticket number 1232 in Finest Surprise Series 1901 which he purchased at The Irish Village on his birthday on November 29.
A regular participant in Dubai Duty Free's promotion for 20 years now, Alhamour works for a government agency in Sharjah.
Lastly, Mohammed Arshad Ali, a 29-year-old Indian national based in Sharjah, won an Aprilia Tuono V4 Factory (Ultra Gold) motorbike with ticket number 0653 in Finest Surprise Series 605 which he purchased online December 6.
A resident of Sharjah for 11 years, Ali has been a regular participant in Dubai Duty Free's promotion over the past five months now.
