An Indian immigrant living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Rajeev Arikkatt, won a staggering 15 million dirhams (approximately Rs 33 Crore) in the Big Ticket Abu Dhabi weekly lottery draw.
The surprising win came after he received a free ticket that featured the birthdays of Rajeev’s two children. Originally belonging to Kerala, Rajeev currently works in an architectural company as a draftsman and resides in Al Ain with his wife and kids, aged five and eight. Despite participating and buying the Big Ticket draws for the past three years, he has now won the jackpot with ticket number 037130, which is the birth dates of his kids.
Still stunned by the unexpected victory, Rajeev is yet to finalize how to use such a whopping amount. He intends to share his prize with 19 others, making his lucky amount a shared joy.
Upon being victorious, Rajeev told Khaleej Times, “I have been residing in Al Ain for more than 10 years. I have been purchasing tickets for the past 3 years. This is the first time I have won a lottery. This time, my wife and I selected tickets with numbers 7 and 13, which are the birth dates of our children. Two months back, I missed Dh 1 million by a whisker with the same combination but this time I was fortunate.”
He added, “I was speechless. I couldn’t describe the feelings in words. I recognised hosts’s voice, as I had been listening to it for years. I knew he called the winners, but I never imagined it was the first prize. It was a surprise. This is a life-changing moment, not just for me but for others in our group.”
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