UAE resident scoops Dh10 million prize in Mahzooz draw

Three lucky winners also walked away with Dh100,000 each on Saturday

Hosts of the weekly Mahzooz draw at Studio City in Dubai. Ruel Pableo / The National

One lucky winner scooped the Dh10 million jackpot in the Mahzooz draw on Saturday night.

Matching all five numbers in the weekly live draw, the newly made multimillionaire is the fourth person to take home the top prize. The winning numbers were 3, 16, 19, 23, 30.

On the same night, 31 winners claimed the second prize of Dh1 million, with each taking home Dh32,258 after matching four out of five numbers.

The raffle, where players are automatically entered into a draw to match a winning ticket ID, also included three lucky winners taking home Dh100,000 each.

An additional 1,651 winners matched three out of five numbers and bagged the third prize of Dh350 each.

The total prize money won in last night’s draw was Dh11,877,850.

In December, an Indian farmer-turned-labourer took home Dh10 million after matching five out of five numbers in the Mahzooz draw.

The 25-year-old Fujairah resident said he would use his winnings to help his family back home. It was the first time he had bought a ticket for the draw.

Lottery winners describe how the windfall changed their lives: in pictures

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