Bhutanese barista in Al Ain wins Dh1 million in Mahzooz draw

Another winner walked away with a kilogram of gold

Al Ain resident Tandin, left, won Dh1 million and Bikash, from Bangladesh, walked away with a kilogram of gold. Photo: Mahzooz

A man from Bhutan who works as a barista in Al Ain has won Dh1 million ($272,316) in the latest Mahzooz draw.

Tandin, 28, who is the first from his country to make it to the millionaires' league, has been living in the UAE for the past five years, Ewings, the operator of Mahzooz, said in a press release.

He started participating in the draw about a month back when he first bought the Dh35 water bottle (which qualifies the buyer for a ticket in the draw). On only his fourth attempt he was a winner.

“I feel overwhelmed, and I am still in disbelief that I have become financially independent," he said.

Tandin said he was at work at the coffee shop when the live draw took place and his immediate supervisor informed him about his winnings.

At first he thought his supervisor was joking, but when he saw his friends congratulating him on a Whatsapp chat group and posted screenshots of his name from the live draw, he decided to check his Mahzooz account.

He said the prize money had immediately been credited.

Tandin said he plans to get married soon and intends to continue working at his current job.

"I need to be very careful where I invest my money and consider many factors before making a decision because I am getting married soon," he said.

"I will be using some of my prize money for the wedding expenses. I may also make a few investments back home in Bhutan and help a few of my friends who have been supporting me during my time here in the UAE."

Bikash, 37, from Bangladesh, was another winner – he walked away with a kilogram of gold.

He lives in Ras Al Khaimah and works as a barber. He said he has been participating in the draw since it was launched.

"I was overjoyed to learn that I am the lucky recipient of this much gold. This is a life-changing moment for me, and I feel thankful,” he said.

On April 19, Padam Bahadur, 41, a Nepali driver with a food trading company in Dubai, became an overnight millionaire after scooping the Dh20 million ($5.4 million) jackpot with Mahzooz.

To participate in the draw, people have to buy a bottle of water for Dh35 and receive a ticket with it.

People can take part by registering at www.mahzooz.ae

Those who match six numbers will share a cash prize of at least Dh50 million. Winners who match five numbers will be able to claim a share of Dh1 million, which might increase depending on how many players there are.

People who match four numbers will earn a cash prize of Dh1,000 and players who match three numbers will receive Dh35 or a free play.

Participants have to match seven numbers to win the mega prize of Dh100 million, the largest on offer in the UAE. Nobody has yet claimed the top prize.

Lottery winners tell of how jackpot 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