'I had only Dh12 in bank, now it's Dh100,012': Filipino expat still can’t believe Mahzooz win

Three expats, hailing from different countries, won the latest edition of the 'Triple 100 Raffle Draw'

SM Ayaz Zakir

Published: Sat 9 Dec 2023, 8:43 AM

Last updated: Mon 11 Dec 2023, 2:27 PM

Reymund, a Filipino expat had just Dh12 in his account last week. Now his bank balance is Dh100,012. He was one of the latest winners of Mahzooz raffle draw who won Dh100,000 as part of the guaranteed Triple 100 Raffle Draw.

The 36-year-old is a supervisor at one of the petrol stations in Dubai and has been working in the UAE for the past six years. Reymund had been checking his bank balance every minute to see if the money had been deposited. “Friday was the luckiest day of my life. It was like my bank balance was topped up with Dh100,000,” said Reymund.

He has been participating in the draw since its inception and this is the first time he hit the jackpot. “I have never seen this huge sum of money. It was a life-changing moment for me. I couldn’t believe it initially, but came to understand it later,” said Reymund.

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With the winnings, Reymund plans to settle his financial liabilities and start a grocery store in his home country. “Apart from having my store, I will be gifting myself a new mobile phone,” said Reymund.

Clearing financial liabilities

When Hadi, an Australian expat won Dh150,000, he breathed a sigh of relief. When he learned about the win, he only intended to clear his credit card bills and break away from his financial liabilities.

“The first thing I want to do is to clear off all my debts. Once that is cleared, the remaining amount will go to my savings,” said Hadi.

Hadi is a businessman and has been residing in the UAE for the last nine years. He has been participating in Emirates Draw MEGA7 and just began playing Emirates Draw EASY6 two months ago upon the launch of the Friday game.

“With an entry of Dh15, I had to match six numbers in any order, which was easy to win. I matched five out of six numbers in the EASY6 game to win Dh150,000,” said Hadi.

“With the winning, I feel so relieved and I can concentrate more on my business now and even grow it,” added Hadi.

From a waiter to aspiring restaurant owner

Saami, an Indian expat and a waiter at a restaurant in Dubai, was among a lucky few who won Dh100,000 at Mahzooz Draw. “I am still working as a waiter and I haven’t spent the money until now. With my prior savings and this amount, I am planning to start my restaurant,” said Saami, who won at the beginning of 2023.

“With this amount, I can open a cafeteria for now. Starting a restaurant will take more money or who knows I may hit the jackpot one day soon,” said Saami, who plans of his future restaurant in his spare time.

Saami has participated in the draws for nearly one and a half years and has spent over Dh5,000. “Whenever I read about people winning, I was very sure that my day is near,” said Saami.

“I always participated with the same number on my birthday: 28-07-86. However, the draw I won, I changed it to my newborn son (06-12-22). I did not match all the numbers though, but I won, and it was huge,” said Saami, who dreams of becoming a millionaire one day.

When Saami won the money, he made it a habit to donate a part of his salary to charity. “I will continue with my donation. If I win again, I have decided a percentage for charity,” said Saami.

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