An Indian expat and Al Ain resident Rajeev Arikkatt is perhaps cherishing the golden period of his life after he won Dh15 million (Rs 33 crore) in a Big Ticket Abu Dhabi raffle draw with a free ticket number featuring the birthdays of his two children.
He is residing in the UAE with his wife and children.
According to reports, he won the grand prize with ticket number 037130.
Rajeev said this was the first time he won a lottery.
“I have been residing in Al Ain for more than 10 years. I have been purchasing tickets for the past 3 years. This is the first time I have won a lottery. This time, me and my wife selected tickets with numbers 7 and 13, which are the birth dates of our children. Two months back, I missed Dh1 million by a whisker with the same combination but this time I was fortunate,” Rajeev told Khaleej Times about the ticket bought on January 11.
“I got a special offer from Big Ticket whereas I got four tickets for free when I purchased two. While I have always been hoping to win, this time the expectations were high with six tickets in the draw,” he said.
Rajeev’s reaction at the moment of announcemnt
He said he felt speechless at the moment when the ticket announcement was made.
“We have two groups of 10 members each. We jointly paid for two tickets and got other four tickets for free through the special offer. And it’s a paid ticket each for a group. Since we won with a free ticket, the amount will be shared equally. It’s a blessing,” he said.
“There are people working as office assistants and other low-paying jobs with monthly salaries ranging from Dh1,000 to Dh1,500. Some have lost their jobs and were staring at an uncertain future. This windfall has come at the right time for everyone,” he said.
Rajeev said his life remained the same after the win.