UAE: Jobless expat wins Dh500,000 in Mahzooz draw

Dubai - The Dubai resident plans to start his own cafeteria; help others who have fallen on hard times.

An unemployed Dubai resident’s life has taken a turn for the good amid this pandemic after he was announced the winner of the second prize at the Mahzooz millionaire draw in Dubai - making him Dh500,000 richer.

The win comes as the 53-year-old was wondering about how he would send any funds back home to his family for Eid Al Adha - God gave him, what he calls the 'best gift of his life' this Eid in the form of this huge prize money, when he needed it the most.

Nazeerali lost his job a few months ago due to the Covid-19 pandemic and was struggling to stay afloat financially as he is the only breadwinner of the family, whom he recently moved back to India as he could not afford to keep them here without having a stable job.

“I have been jobless for a few months. I had to send my family back home to cut down on expenses during this uncertain time. I felt down and lonely, but I never lost hope. I always believed in the power of destiny, and always saw the light at the end of the tunnel. My big win with Mahzooz is proof that optimism and positivity always attracts great things in life", said Nazeerali.

The Indian expatriate, who hails from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, jointly won the 34th weekly live Mahzooz draw with one more lucky winner, after both of them matched five out of six numbers and shared the Dh1 million second prize.

The father of two, Nazeerali, said it “took a while for this life-changing win to sink in” when he first saw the email from Mahzooz declaring him the winner for the second prize.

“The first thing I did after seeing the email was to call my family and tell them that all our worries were over,” added the excited winner.

With the future looking stable for now, Nazeerali said he will use the money to fulfill his long-standing dream of becoming an entrepreneur.

“I have always dreamt of starting my own cafeteria in Dubai, but I thought that this would be impossible for an ordinary man like me. But now I know for sure that nothing is impossible. Thank you to Mahzooz,” said Nazeerali.

saman@khaleejtimes.com