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Filipino delivery rider wins Dh1m in Dubai's Mahzooz raffle

Dubai - He couldn't sleep all night and even had to check his blood pressure.

Life changed overnight for a 38-year-old delivery rider when he became a millionaire after winning a raffle in Dubai.

Roland, from the Philippines, had been trying his luck at various draws across the country ever since he landed in Dubai 10 years ago. Lady luck struck last week, when he hit the jackpot at the 27th weekly Mahzooz draw.

He was one of the two lucky winners who matched five out of six numbers and shared the Dh2 million rolled-over second prize – getting Dh1 million each.

Roland, who works as a delivery rider at a cake shop, could not believe his eyes when he went online to check the draw result. “I’ve been participating in the draw from day one and I never lost hope,” he said. “I always knew my lucky day would come, and when it came on Saturday I couldn’t believe it. When I saw that my numbers matched, I was so excited that I couldn’t sleep. I even had to check my blood pressure the next morning! I never thought that I’d become a millionaire but now I know for sure that everything in life is possible.”

Roland plans to use his winnings to give his partner the wedding of her dreams. “We have been talking about getting married for a long time and now we can finally afford it,” said Roland.

He said he had been trying very hard to financially support his family in the Philippines for all these years and will now use the prize money to help build a house for his family and support them in all their endeavours. “I can finally buy land for my mother so she can build her dream home… I also want to help out my elder brother, who has supported me through everything ever since I was little -- like going to college, moving to the UAE. None of this would have been possible without him.”

Excited about his win, Roland said hard work, perseverance and hope are the key factors that helped him stay stead on his path to achieve his goals. “Don’t stop or you might miss your chance. Continue forward, keep your hopes, and one day you’ll be the lucky one.”

Along with Roland, an Emirati national also matched five out of six numbers and claimed Dh1 million. The two men shared the Dh2 million second prize, which was doubled in accordance with the rules of Mahzooz, after going unclaimed in the 26th draw.

saman@khaleejtimes.com