Dubai: Indian expat wins Dh77,777 for the second time in 3 weeks

Manoj Madhusoodhanan, an Indian expat who has been playing the Emirates Draw since it launched in September 2021, has won Dh77,777 twice in the raffle draws within three weeks and other prizes along the way.

The father of two rushed to verify the news when a friend called to tell him that he had won again.

"After I confirmed that I won again, I just started jumping around like a small child because I didn't expect to win again so soon," the workshop superintendent said, chuckling.

Madhusoodhanan's philosophy is simple: keep trying and never give up. The 55-year-old started by purchasing two Dh50 pencils regularly since the first draw, and when he still hadn't won, he decided to purchase three instead. This strategy paid off later after Manoj received his first Dh77,777 prize.

"I'm going to use my prize money to continue supporting people in need and charities back home. I'm more motivated now to keep participating, and, who knows, I might win again," Madhusoodhanan said.

Madhusoodhanan wasn't the only participant to receive a pleasant shock that Sunday evening. Nasr Said Al Abri was at home when he decided to randomly check his email and saw that he was among the latest batch of Emirates Draw Dh77,777 raffle winners.

"I was watching television when I decided to just casually check my email because I knew that the draw had just ended. When I saw the message from Emirates Draw, I was so excited that I sat up suddenly, which startled my wife," he said.

"Just as I was about to tell her the great news, a friend called, and I was trying to end our conversation as quickly as possible. After we were done, I checked my email again, then the Emirates Draw website, and finally went on Instagram, just to be sure."

The Omani national, who is based in Abu Dhabi, said that he then shared the news with his nine-year-old daughter, who had helped select the raffle numbers.

"Even though I won through the draw portion, I still told her that I won so she could feel as though she was a part of my success. I've been participating since Emirates Draw began, and while I know there are weekly guaranteed winners, this really reinforced to me that Emirates Draw is genuinely helping people," the 46-year-old said. He revealed that he plans to use his winnings for charity and to help finance a passion project.

For Australian expatriate Amir Abbas, it was an unbelievable experience winning Dh77,777 after participating only thrice.

"I found out about Emirates Draw after reading a winner's story in the newspaper, and it inspired me to participate too. I can't believe that I won after trying just a few times," the 46-year-old, who works in construction, said, laughing.

"It's amazing how much the weekly draw helps people and gives us a great start to our weeks. I got so excited about my good news that I bought a Dh50 pencil as soon as I confirmed that I won."

Abbas further revealed that for now, he plans to enjoy his good fortune by donating an amount to charity, going on a well-deserved holiday, and sharing whatever remains with his friends.

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