Dubai business owner wins $1 million after 5 years of buying Duty Free tickets

An Emirati and an Indian have joined the millionaires club after being announced as the winner of the latest Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire and Finest Surprise draw on Wednesday.

Saeed Mohamad Yousuf won $1 million in Millennium Millionaire Series 469, with ticket number 4399, which he purchased on July 17 on his way to Casablanca in Morocco. The 47-year-old Emirati based in Dubai ran a real estate and building materials business.

“Thanks a lot Dubai Duty Free for this really amazing news!” he said. Yousuf has been participating in the draw for 5 years and is the 15th Emirati national to have won the Millennium Millionaire promotion since 1999.

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Joining him is Vidhi Gurnani, an Indian expat living in Dubai who was announced as the winner of $1 million in Series 468 with ticket number 4760 which she purchased on July 9 on her way to Mumbai from DXB.

Vidhi who is the 233rd Indian national to have won the Millennium Millionaire promotion is currently uncontactable, but will no doubt be delighted to learn of her newfound fortune.

Following the Millennium Millionaire draw, the Finest Surprise draw was conducted for four luxury vehicles.

Aseilah Saeed Saif Al Kaabi, a 25-year-old Emirati based in Fujairah won a BMW M850i xDrive Coupe (Dravit Grey Metallic) car with ticket number 0433 in the Finest Surprise Series 1885, which she purchased on her way to Mahe in Seychelles.

Al Kaabi, who recently started participating in Dubai Duty Free's promotion, will be celebrating her birthday next month and was ecstatic to learn of her win. "I’m so lucky to have bought this ticket and won. Thank you Dubai Duty Free for this early birthday gift,” she said.

Binyam Tamene, an American based in the US won a Mercedes Benz S500 (Graphite Grey) car with ticket number 1492 in the Finest Surprise Series 1886, which he purchased online on July 14.

Given the time difference in the USA, he was unavailable for immediate comment, but will no doubt be surprised when he learns of his newfound fortune.

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