Mystery UAE resident wins Dh50 million in biggest Mahzooz draw

Organisers said this is the largest prize draw win in the region

UAE residents who struck lucky with Abu Dhabi's Big Ticket draw attended a gala dinner. Organisers of the draw celebrated the winners' good luck at the Alexandra Dhow Cruise in Dubai Marina. All photos by Leslie Pableo / The National

Richard Isaac and Bouchra Yamani, the two presenters who pick out the raffle tickets and call the winners, interacted with the winners. Some of attendees had won jackpots of between Dh1 million to Dh15 million, while others won Dh90,000

'The National' spoke to winners about how they have spent their grand prize. Shivamurthy Gali Krishnappa won Dh12 million last month. He said he wants to save for his children's future. For now, he is still working as a mechanical engineer for a stainless steel production company

Shahed Ahmed Moulvifaiz, a Bangladeshi car garage owner in Al Ain, won Dh10 million less than a week ago. He wants to bring his family to the UAE, expand his business and spend on his youngest son's education

Jayaprakash Mariyan Philip had won the Dh1 million prize with nine other people. The funds were split equally, leaving him with Dh100,000. He said he has paid off part of his bank loans

Zaheenn Kausar was visiting her husband in Abu Dhabi from Pakistan, when he bought a ticket under her name. She proved lucky for her family after winning Dh90,000. She wants to pay for her daughter's university tuition and buy a car for herself

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, more than 5,000 people would gather during a live event in Abu Dhabi to watch the draw take place. Since 2020, the draw streams live on social media channels, bringing in even larger crowds

Many people buy multiple tickets together and then split the prize equally. There are also those who win after buying a ticket alone, allowing them to keep the entire jackpot

The Abu Dhabi Big Draw has been changing lives since 1992

The ticket for the grand prize costs Dh500

Revealed: Pakistani driver on Dh6,000 salary scoops Dh50 million

A UAE resident scooped the whopping prize of Dh50 million ($13.6m) in the weekly Mahzooz draw on Saturday – the biggest prize draw win in the Gulf region, organisers said.

Details about the winner have not yet been announced yet, but organisers said he was an Asian man between the age of 30 and 40.

The win is the first time in 48 draws that someone has taken home the multi-million dollar grand prize.

The winner matched all six numbers. The winning numbers were: 6, 11, 21, 32, 33, and 46.

Farid Samji, chief executive officer of Ewings, which runs Mahzooz, said: “This is by far the biggest prize money to have been won in the UAE and the GCC.

“We have been eagerly waiting for someone to take home the grand prize. We’re extremely happy that luck has favoured someone after 48 draws."

Six people shared the second prize, which was doubled to Dh2m this week as it went unclaimed in the previous draw on October 16. Each took home Dh333,333.

The third prize of Dh1,000 was won by 185 entrants, and Dh35 went to 3,456 participants.

The total prize money won in Saturday night’s draw was Dh52,305,960.

Dubai's luxury property market rebounds - in pictures

An Arabic-style villa in Palm Jumeirah. Dubai is recording a sharp increase in the sale of homes valued at more than $10 million. Photo: Engel and Voelkers

A Dh48million mansion in Emirates Hills. In Dubai, 22 homes worth more than $10m were sold in the first five months of 2021, the most since 2015, and up from 19 homes in the corresponding period in 2020. Photo: Engel and Voelkers

A custom-built luxury villa in Dubai Hills Estate. Dubai was one of the first cities to reopen its borders to international tourists in July 2020. Photo: Luxhabitat Sotheby's International Realty

A rendering of a luxury villa in Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City. The sharp increase in Dubai's luxury home market reflects similar patterns in other global cities. Photo: Meydan Sobha

Night-time rendering of a mansion at Meraas’ Bvlgari Residences on Jumeirah Bay Island. Photo: Meraas

The Il Primo apartments in Downtown Dubai. The smallest units of around 4,979 square feet are being sold for £3.5 million each. Photo: Emaar

The swimming pool at the MAG 318 upscale residential tower in Business Bay. Antonie Robertson / The National