10 ways to become a lucky millionaire in the UAE

Winning a large cash prize would make anyone happy, particularly as some jackpots in the UAE now stretch into several million dirhams. From winning lottery raffles and airport draws to prize-linked savings accounts, there are a number of ways to net a windfall. The largest cash prize in the UAE is currently Dh50 million that Mahzooz, previously Emirates Loto , is giving away in its weekly lotto-style raffle. Here is a guide to 10 of the most generous jackpots in the UAE and how you can get involved: How much: Dh50m About the promotion: the UAE's official lottery draw takes place every Saturday and is live-streamed on its website from 9pm. The entry price for each game is Dh35. Those who match six numbers share a cash prize of at least Dh50m. Winners who match five numbers can claim a share of Dh1m, which might increase depending on how many players there are, while those who match four numbers earn a cash prize of Dh1,000. Players who match three numbers receive Dh35 or a free play. The draw was originally introduced to UAE audiences in April last year, but was postponed and returned after a four-month hiatus. How to enter: players can register on mahzooz.ae and its smartphone application, which will be available on iOS and Android soon. How much: Dh15m About the promotion: a monthly draw that first started in 1992 with a Dh1m cash prize, Big Ticket is currently offering a prize of Dh15m, but throughout the year the prize varies. There is also a draw for Dream Cars such as a Jaguar, Corvette, Ford Mustang and Mini-Cooper. How to enter: tickets to enter the raffle draw are Dh500 each. If you buy two tickets, you get one free. Tickets can be bought online at www.bigticket.ae or at the following locations: Abu Dhabi International Airport, Al Ain Duty Free and Abu Dhabi City Terminal. The promotion runs from the first day of the month until 11.59pm on the last day of the month. How much: $1m (Dh3.67m) About the promotion: launched in 1999, the Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire promotion is capped at 5,000 tickets and the draw takes place every two to three weeks. Seven winners have won twice. Dubai Duty Free also has the Finest Surprise draw for luxury cars, such as a Mercedes, BMW or Range Rover, and motorcycles. How to enter: tickets for Millennium Millionaire are Dh1,000 each. For Finest Surprise cars, tickets are Dh500 and limited to 1,300 or 2,300 for high-end cars like a Bentley, McLaren or Aston Martin. Motorbike tickets are Dh100 and limited to 1,000 in each series. Tickets can be purchased online at or at Dubai Duty Free at Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport. How much: Dh3m grand prize every four months. Ten winners of Dh10,000 each on a monthly basis. How to enter: open a Ghina account through Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank with a minimum of Dh20,000 to get a welcome draw entry. For every Dh20,000 in savings, you get an extra draw coupon. For balances over Dh250,000 during a full calendar month, customers will get an extra draw coupon for every four coupons. The account holder must have at least four coupons to enter the grand prize draw. A maximum of 1,000 entries is allowed per account per draw. How much: Dh1m grand prize, 10 prizes of Dh10,000 and 100 prizes of Dh5,000 on a monthly basis for the Millionaire Destiny Savings Account. Exclusively for UAE nationals, the Emirati Millionaire Savings Account offers a Dh1m grand prize twice a year, a Dh250,000 prize monthly and a Dh10,000 prize every weekday. How to enter: you need to apply for the account through Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank and maintain an average monthly balance of Dh5,000 to enter the prize draws. For every additional Dh1,000 you save, you'll receive another chance in the draw. The account includes a debit card with instant access to your money with no lock-in period and no penalty for withdrawals. How much: Dh1m, a Tesla or Dh200,000 grand prizes monthly. There are five daily prizes of Dh3,000 each. How to enter: to qualify, customers must open a Kunooz Savings Account with Emirates Islamic Bank and maintain a minimum balance of Dh3,000. For every Dh5,000 saved in an account, customers receive one chance for the monthly grand prize. Customers receive one chance for the daily cash prizes for every Dh1,000 saved. How much: Dh1m every two months. There is a monthly prize of Dh100,000 and 2,100 prizes from Dh100 to Dh1,000. How to enter: certificates can be purchased in denominations of Dh100, Dh200 or Dh500 at Union National Bank branches. There is no application fee, but there is a 2 per cent penalty to cash in the certificates before the end of the lock-in period, which is 30 days for the monthly draw and 60 days for the bi-monthly draw. To be eligible for the Dh1m, the minimum investment amount is Dh20,000. For the Dh100,000 prize, the minimum is Dh5,000, while the Dh1,000 and Dh100 prizes require a minimum of Dh1,000. You can start earning interest of 0.1 per cent once your collective holdings exceed Dh30,000 for the month. But you won’t be paid any interest if you cash in your certificates during the first six months. The winners of the draw are picked by a computerised system at random. How much: Dh1m grand prize drawn every calendar quarter. On a monthly basis, there are three prizes of Dh5,000 each and 50 prizes of Dh1,000 each. How to enter: each Mashreq Millionaire certificate costs Dh1,000 and can be encashed in part or full at any time. No interest is earned. You do not have to be a Mashreq customer to purchase the certificates at any Mashreq branch, while existing customers have the additional facility to buy them online. A minimum of five certificates must be purchased with every transaction. The draw is conducted by an official from the Department of Economic Development. How much: Dh1m every quarter for one UAE national and one expatriate or non-resident. On a monthly basis, two people win Dh100,000 each in bonds and 19 people win Dh10,000 each in bonds. Otherwise, you could be one of the 40,000 who win Dh50 each month. Some prizes are earmarked for certain categories, such as women and minors. How to enter: you can purchase bonds online , by phone or by visiting one of more than 550 nationwide outlets, including exchange houses and banks. The minimum required purchase of National Bonds is Dh100 (10 units of Dh10). The reward programme is open to savers who open a myPlan account as well as single transaction savers. Customers increase their chances with longer monthly saving plans, doubling their chances with a 12-month plan, tripling with a 24-month plan and quadrupling with a 36-month plan. For single subscription bonds, the chances increase with the amount. For the Dh1m prize, customers must have a minimum of Dh25,000 of holdings to have one chance per bond, while holdings above Dh100,000 double the chances and holdings above Dh250,000 triple the chances. How much: Dh1m annually and Dh100,000 on a quarterly basis. How to enter: open the account with Commercial Bank International with a minimum balance of Dh10,000. Customers will be eligible for an extra prize draw entry for every Dh500 in their accounts during the previous month. The account includes a free international debit card and free life insurance, and earns interest of 0.1 per cent per year paid semi-annually. ___________

10 ways to become a lucky millionaire in the UAE

The prize draws and savings accounts that could win you big money