Dubai: Jobless for a year, man hits Dh300,000 jackpot during Ramadan

Dubai - He has pledged a certain amount of the prize money for charity.

After being jobless for almost a year, an Indian resident who had returned to his home country, depressed and in despair, received a life-changing phone call from Dubai.

Afsal Khalid, hailing from the south Indian state of Kerala, struck gold after being declared as one of the winners of the 22nd Mahzooz weekly digital draw in Dubai that won him over Dh300,000.

Calling it a Ramadan gift from the Almighty, Afsal, who has been observing the holy month, told Khaleej Times: “This is the blessing of the holy month of Ramadan, I believe. I was so low and depressed after sitting at home, jobless, for the last one year. All I was doing was praying fervently, seeking God’s help."

On Saturday night, Afsal says he woke up from his sleep and decided to check his email, as the draw results were expected then. "I couldn’t believe what I saw on the mail, as it said that I had won Dh333,333 in the Mahzooz draw.”

Afsal, 38, said he couldn’t sleep all night in excitement and was unsure if it was true — until he received a call from the Mahzooz draw officials the next morning, who confirmed that he had indeed won the second prize at the draw along with two other winners.

Pledging a certain amount of the prize money for charity, Afsal said: “I will first give sadaqa (charity) from this money, as this is my way of thanking God and passing forward the goodness I received. I will especially try and support people who are out of jobs and have families to support, as I have been in that situation. After this, I am planning to set up a small business here in my town to ensure a sustainable income so I can stay with my family and not have to go abroad to earn a living.”

Afsal said he learnt about the Mahzooz draw from Facebook and has been applying to its weekly draws regularly. "I am so gratefully to the Mahzooz management for hosting this online digital draw, as it allows people from across the world to participate and helps transform lives. My life has changed forever now,” he said.

saman@khaleejtimes.com