A shop worker in Abu Dhabi, who left Chennai 17 years ago to support his family, won $1 million (Dh3.67 million) in the Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire draw on Wednesday.
Saravanan Malairaj, 36, said the windfall would help him secure a better future for his twins, a boy and a girl aged four, and be able spend more time with them.
Dubai Duty Free informed him of his win at 12.15pm but out of nervousness and disbelief, he had not informed his family in India before speaking to The National.
“I have participated in raffle draws but never won anything. This comes as a big surprise,” Mr Malairaj told The National.
The jackpot winner said life had been difficult in Chennai and that he sold family land to help pay for his sister's marriage before leaving India in 2009 in search of better opportunities in the UAE.
“This money might now change the attitude of people around who have been ignoring us and unkind to my parents,” he said. He currently earns Dh8,000 a month working at the shop selling construction equipment.
He said he has never envied those more successful than himself and has always aimed to treat others with kindness. “Today I have been blessed,” he added.
Mr Malairaj plans to invest the prize money in his children's education. He hopes to return to India eventually and spend more time with his children. “We had children late in our marriage, and now I truly want to spend more time with them as they grow.” He also aims to own a shop in Tamil Nadu, India.
'Never lost hope'
Mr Malairaj is one of two Indian residents who won $1 million in Wednesday’s Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire draw.
Bhanu Sobhani, 40, a Dubai resident, and textile factory owner, won in Series 557 with a ticket bought just before travelling to Poland for business.
A Dubai resident for 10 years, Mr Sobhani has regularly participated in Dubai Duty Free's promotion since 2021. The father of two said: “I never lost hope that I will win one day, and today, my hope has finally become a reality. I am celebrating my birthday next month, so this is an advance gift to me.”
He plans to invest part of his winnings in property and donate a portion to charity.
Mr Malairaj and Mr Sobhani are the 283rd and 284th Indian citizens to win $1 million in the Millennium Millionaire promotion since it began in 1999, according to Dubai Duty Free.
Dream car
Shailesh Kumar also won big in the latest draw, landing a Range Rover SE P360.
A Dubai resident since 2012, Mr Kumar, 47, has been participating in Dubai Duty Free's promotion for eight years. The father of two works as an insurance manager. “This is my dream car and I’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” he said.
Sajjad Siddiqui, 47, an Indian based in Riyadh, won a BMW R12 GS motorbike.
