A car washer in Dubai said his life changed after winning the Dh10 million ($2.7m) Mahzooz jackpot.
Bharat, 31, from Nepal, bought the winning ticket with his two friends and pledged to share the prize money.
He said he aims to spend the winnings on his family and surgery for his brother who was paralysed after a brain tumour.
The 94th grand draw was won after matching the five winning numbers: 16, 27, 31, 37 and 42.
I look forward to paying off my mortgages, bills and set up a fund for my two children
Bharat,
Dh10 million Mahzooz winner
Bharat said 27 and 16 were his lucky numbers — the first being the date of his birthday and the other his wedding day. His wife and two children aged 3 and 5 live in Nepal.
Making only Dh1,300 a month, he is one of the lowest-earning winners and will take a holiday before going to see his family in Nepal.
Bharat, who worked in a power plant in Saudi Arabia before moving to Dubai three years ago, said he was unlikely to quit his car washing job after winning the jackpot.
“I want to keep working,” he said.
“I have been participating in Mahzooz since it started, at first it was with a group of friends as we didn’t have much money.
“Now I entered with two friends. I told my family that I had won, but I have not told them how much.
“I have taken part in other draws, but thought Mahzooz was more credible so I’ve continued to play.
“To win is amazing, but I always had confidence that one day it would happen.”
Family responsibilities come first
Although he spends all day washing cars in Al Quoz, Bharat was in no rush to go out and buy himself a new flashy sports car.
Instead, the money will be spent closer to home, he said.
“I will use the money to care for my family and my brother’s health expenses,” Bharat said.
“The UAE has given me a lot of opportunities, so I want to stay here, but I want to take a holiday first.
“Two of the numbers were special to me ― my birthday and wedding anniversary ― but the others were at random. I change them every time.
“I put the numbers on at 1am and hoped for the best.
“When I finished my duty I went back to my room to watch the numbers come in at about 9pm. When they came in, there was a lot of commotion.
“I am looking forward to paying off my mortgages and other bills as soon as possible.
“It’s important for me to set up the future of my two children aged 5 and 3 years old.
"This would be an incredible thing to be able to accomplish.
“This prize will enable me to achieve so much and change the lives of so many people.”
Prize money has changed lives
So far, more than 3,200 lucky Nepalese participants have been among Mahzooz winners, 28 of whom have landed the first and second prizes
The competition is expanding its reach. Each week, between 10 per cent and 15 per cent of draw participants are from outside the UAE.
In the 94th weekly live Mahzooz draw, 41 winners shared the second prize of Dh1,000,000 and 1,174 winners bagged the third prize of Dh350 each.
Additionally, three winners took home Dh300,000 in the raffle draw, which features three guaranteed winners every week.
The total prize money won in the 94th draw was Dh11,719,900.
“For many people, Dh35 is a good deal of money, so stories like Bharat’s are compelling,” said Farid Samji, chief executive of Ewings, operator of Mahzooz.
“He is one of the lowest earners among our winners, so it will make a huge difference to him and his family.
“There is a reason why we keep producing these winners, it is fair and trusted, so people want to take part.
“We make dreams come true.”
Because Bharat does not have a bank account, he will get help to open his first one with Mahzooz, a for-profit organisation with shareholders.
Since its launch, the Mahzooz game design has changed to make it easier to win.
Over the summer, six people won the Dh10 million jackpot prize.
“We make it quick and easy for people to get their hands on their winnings,” Mr Samji said.
“Bharat will have access to his winnings in just a few days.”
Since its launch, Dh280 million in prize money has been paid out to 190,000 winners.
The smallest prize is Dh350, with about 15,000 people winning that amount each week.
Once a water bottle is bought, funds are distributed to needy groups, such as workers.
The company also has a corporate social responsibility programme, with cash distributed among 15 registered charities and NGOs in the UAE, including the Al Jalila Foundation.
“We help people with their cancer care or who need cochlear implants for their hearing, or computer labs for people of determination,” Mr Samji said.
“Many people benefit from Mahzooz, not just the prize winners.
“Al Jalila is one of our key partners and we can help raise money very quickly for them when it is needed.
“There is a long list of success stories, and more than 8,000 families have benefited to date.
“We have some changes coming to the competition late this year that will blow people away.”
Entrants buy a bottle of water for Dh35 and receive a ticket with it.
People can take part by registering at www.mahzooz.ae
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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Bert van Marwijk factfile
Born: May 19 1952
Place of birth: Deventer, Netherlands
Playing position: Midfielder
Teams managed:
1998-2000 Fortuna Sittard
2000-2004 Feyenoord
2004-2006 Borussia Dortmund
2007-2008 Feyenoord
2008-2012 Netherlands
2013-2014 Hamburg
2015-2017 Saudi Arabia
2018 Australia
Major honours (manager):
2001/02 Uefa Cup, Feyenoord
2007/08 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord
World Cup runner-up, Netherlands
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20Cashew%0D%3Cbr%3EStarted%3A%202020%0D%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Ibtissam%20Ouassif%20and%20Ammar%20Afif%0D%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3EIndustry%3A%20FinTech%0D%3Cbr%3EFunding%20size%3A%20%2410m%0D%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Mashreq%2C%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
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Company Profile
Company name: Yeepeey
Started: Soft launch in November, 2020
Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani
Based: Dubai
Industry: E-grocery
Initial investment: $150,000
Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
