An Indian resident has vowed to keep his feet on the ground after buying a Dh15 million ($4 million) winning lottery ticket while waiting to board a flight at Abu Dhabi International Airport.
Pradeep Kumar and his two friends left the departure lounge and soon entered millionaires' row after deciding to try their luck with the monthly Big Ticket raffle draw before flying to India.
They made the life-changing purchase at a Big Ticket in-store counter at the airport and are set to share the windfall.
Now the jet-set lifestyle is within grasp for the trio after their numbers came up in the latest live draw on Wednesday, shortly before their return trip to the Emirates.
The long-time lottery player could be forgiven for being on cloud nine, but he told organisers he is keen to keep to his regular routine for now.
When asked about his winning formula, he said persistence paid off after continuing to buy tickets for 10 years in the hope of a change in fortune.
He said he wanted to continue to live the simple life after his remarkable win.
The Big Ticket was established in 1992 with an initial first prize of Dh1 million and is one of the most popular monthly raffles in the UAE.
It has transformed the lives of many people across the Emirates.
A Bangladeshi driver walked away with Dh35 million after winning the first lotto draw of the year.
Mohammed Rayful from Al Ain won the grand prize after nine years of buying tickets.
Abu Dhabi's Big Ticket — in pictures
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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
