After 15 years of playing Abu Dhabi's Big Ticket draw with little success, Reynaldo Herboso's persistence has paid off. He won the grand Dh20 million ($5.4 million) prize on Monday, which he is splitting with nine friends.
The Filipino baker has been working in a bakery in Dubai since 1988, specialising in cake decoration.
Mr Herboso told The National of his emotions after pulling the winning ticket.
"Very happy - my reaction … my God. It changed my life," he said. "All the people, not only me, all the people very happy."
The windfall is a major boost for him and his family, but he does not plan on turning off the oven anytime soon.
"This is my work," he said. "When I came to Dubai, there was no Burj Al Arab."
'Don't give up, luck is coming'
Mr Herboso's story is one of patience and hope. He has been playing the lottery for years, participating in Big Ticket draws and co-ordinating groups to split the cash. At one Dubai Shopping Festival, his group won a Lexus, but the ticket was not in his name.
His friends wanted to stop buying tickets last month, since they had been playing for years with little success. This time, he bought the Dh500 ticket with friends from the Philippines, India and Bangladesh, a day before the lucky numbers were chosen.
"I told my group 'don't give up, the luck is coming'," he said. "Fewer people joined the group and I was afraid because my share of the cost had gone up and I was using my card."
The day before he received the call that would change his life, he was at an electronics store with a Bangladeshi friend, discussing what phones they would buy if they won.
"I said if tomorrow I win, I will buy an iPhone 17 Pro, and he said he would buy a Samsung," he said.
When the call came through, he said he thought it was a consolation prize of Dh100, but then recognised the voice of Richard from Big Ticket.
"For how many years did I buy, because I thought maybe luck was coming?" Mr Herboso said. "Our Bangladeshi friend selected the ticket numbers for us. When I found out that we had won, I was completely over the moon."
While he had not yet decided how he would use his share of the winnings, he vowed to take his time and make an informed decision once he received the prize. Regardless, he is thrilled that his determination paid off.
"My whole group is now very happy," he said. "They greet me, 'thank you, Mr Rey, because of you, I changed my life also'."
Past winner makes most of prize
Meanwhile, nine months after his Dh100,000 Lucky Day Draw win, Abdul Salam Ashraf has been able to make the most of his prize money and is spending it on his family. The limousine chauffeur from Sahiwal, Pakistan, has lived in Dubai since 2005 and had played the UAE Lottery for about a year.
Supporting his family has always been Mr Ashraf's priority, so it was an easy decision for him to spend the money on the people he cares about.
"Family has always come first for me. I have three children - two sons and a daughter - and they all live in Sahiwal, Pakistan. Supporting them has always been my biggest responsibility, so it felt right to celebrate it on them. I didn't spend the prize on anything for myself," he told The National.
As well as donating to charity, he helped his daughter buy a car and contributed towards his son's wedding back home.
"It was one of the happiest moments for our family. I was very happy that I could contribute towards all of the wedding celebrations, and seeing my son begin this new chapter of his life meant a great deal to me," he said.
The limousine chauffeur continues to drive clients around Dubai and says if he wins again, he will donate more money to charity.
"Giving back has always been important to me," he said. "I would like to do even more for people in need, especially back home."
