Joy for Abu Dhabi's 'Mall Millionaire' who almost threw away fortune

Jordanian becomes the UAE's latest big winner in prize draw

Abu Dhabi resident Mohammed Sameer was inspired by his daughter to try to win Mall Millionaire. Photo: Mall Millionaire

A paramedic who lives in Abu Dhabi has won Dh1 million ($270,000) in a prize draw.

Jordanian Mohammed Sameer, 42, was shopping in one of the capital's malls when fate took a hand.

Initially intending to discard his shopping vouchers, Mr Sameer's 10-year-old daughter urged him to exchange them for a coupon and take part in the Mall Millionaire promotion.

The promotion, organised by Line Investments and Property, ran from December 8 to January 6 across 13 malls in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra.

The campaign offered shoppers the chance to win cash prizes by exchanging their Dh200 shopping vouchers for coupons.

Little did Mr Sameer and his daughter know that this decision would soon change their lives.

Mr Sameer's coupon was selected as the grand prize winner, earning him Dh1 million.

“I didn’t want to participate and was about to throw away the shopping bill, but my daughter asked me to have a go. Usually, I don’t have high hopes with such initiatives but sometimes I do participate for fun,” he told The National.

“I took the bills to the registration desk and exchanged them for 14 coupons. I did it because my daughter wanted that, and I thought we were having fun and spending time together.”

Mr Sameer said he could not believe it when he found out that one of his coupons had won the grand prize.

“To think that this simple decision has turned into a major prize is beyond my wildest dreams,” he added.

Mr Sameer, who has lived in Abu Dhabi since 2017 with his wife and three daughters, is now planning to buy a family home.

“I don’t have a clear idea of what I will do with the money, but I plan to buy a family house in Jordan and keep a sum of money for investment,” he said.

Apart from the grand prize, five winners drove away with new Forthing T5 electric cars.

Throughout the campaign, shoppers also won Lulu Trolley gift vouchers, Dh20,000 Laka cards and other prizes.

Wajeb Al Khoury, director of Line Investments and Property, said the third promotional campaign was a success.

“It has not only offered fantastic shopping deals but has also created unforgettable moments and happy winners,” he said.

“Witnessing the joy and excitement among our shoppers has been truly rewarding.”

Meanwhile, a number of prize draw companies in the UAE have applied for a licence to operate the country's only national lottery.

Senior officials from Mahzooz and Emirates Draw on Friday confirmed they had registered their intent to run the national UAE prize draw.

The news that one licence is up for grabs follows the development, revealed on January 1, that prize draw firms were asked to temporarily stop operating until further notice.

The pause came as a result of an "industry-wide mandate” circulated by the commercial gaming regulator, Mahzooz said. Some operators have continued to sell tickets in 2024.