Former UAE resident wins Dh300,000 in Big Ticket Abu Dhabi draw

A Qatar-based Indian expat has won Dh300,000 in the weekly electronic draw held by Big Ticket in Abu Dhabi.

Shamseer Purakkal, a former UAE resident, started purchasing tickets when he was working in Abu Dhabi back in 2017. The 30-year-old said 2022 has been a lucky year so far as his wife Shifana is now one-month pregnant.

“I don’t know what to say. I can’t find words to describe my feelings. This year has been very lucky for me and my wife. A month back we discovered that we are going to be parents for the first time. When the pregnancy test result came positive, I knew lady luck was smiling on me. So, this time I decided to buy the ticket in my name,” a jubilant Purakkal told Khaleej Times over the phone from Qatar.

The native of Malappuram district in the Indian state of Kerala chose a ticket with his lucky number seven.

“I picked a ticket with two 7s because it has always been lucky for me. And I have won.”

It was during his stay in Abu Dhabi that he first started trying his luck.

“From 2017 to 2018, I worked in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. It was during my stay in Abu Dhabi’s Shahama that I started purchasing tickets from the Abu Dhabi airport. There were a lot of friends who would contribute to buy tickets. Now for the past 3 years, I have been in Qatar. I formed a group here to pool money and continued to try our luck. My wife’s pregnancy really gave positive vibes of a win. We are a group of colleagues and common friends who have won this time,” said Purakkal, who works as a stock controller at a firm in Doha. “With my share of this money, I’ll be able to go to London to pursue my MBA, something I’ve been dreaming about for years.”

Purakkal can still win Dh15 million, Dh1 million second prize or three other cash prizes during the live draw on April 3.