An Indian man who won a Dh20 million ($5.45 million) grand prize in the Abu Dhabi Big Ticket hopes to use the money to start his own business.
Arun Kumar Vatakke Koroth was on Monday declared the winner during the raffle draw that was streamed live.
"When Big Ticket’s representatives first tried to inform Arun about his big win, he couldn’t believe that on just his second try he was named the sole winner of the Dh20 million grand prize," organisers of the draw said in a press release.
"Overjoyed, Arun says he will finally be able to have his dream become a reality by investing a large sum of his winnings into starting his own business in his home country."
There is still a Dh15 million prize up for grabs during the May live draw.
Ten other prizes are also still available, including the Dh100,000 second prize, Dh90,000 third prize and Dh80,000 fourth prize.
The draw has been taking place since 1992 and has helped thousands of people boost their finances enormously.
Abu Dhabi Big Ticket winners on how their lives have changed - 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
