Indian expat to head home with Dh367,000 jackpot after 16 years in Dubai

A few days after Indian expat Ettiyanikkal Pailybabu, 56, filed his resignation from a Dubai company where he served for 16 years, he told his friends that he was going to buy a ticket for the Dubai Duty Free draw. That decision proved propitious.

On Wednesday, September 3, Pailybabu and nine of his friends won $1 million (Dh3.67 million) in the Millennium Millionaire Series 513 draw.

“The prize money is a perfect send-off, the best farewell gift,” Pailybabu, or Babu to his friends, told Khaleej Times over the phone. His voice was still ecstatic, and the joy never waned, even a couple of days after he received “the good news.”

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“I was 40 when I first set foot in Dubai on September 1, 2009, with a dream to build a good life for my family. Sixteen years later, I’m saying goodbye to Dubai – happy and fulfilled,” he added.

Ready to return and settle for good back in his hometown in Kerala, Babu said he can’t wait to reunite with his wife and two daughters, aged 21 and 17. Aside from the gratuity he will receive from the manpower agency where he worked as a site supervisor, Babu will be taking his share of the jackpot, amounting to Dh367,000, which he said will be used “to start a small business.”

Like other expats who dream of a better life, Babu and his friends have been participating in the draw for the past four years. They each took turns putting each other's names on the ticket for each series. This time, it was Babu's name — and ticket number 3068, purchased online on August 18 — that sealed their million-dollar moment.

Babu said he will definitely maintain close contact with his friends — some of them will continue working in Dubai, now with a stronger foundation for a better life, made possible by the winning ticket Babu picked.

Hitting the jackpot with friends

Another lucky UAE resident who made himself and his three friends richer is Gopi Devarajan, a 46-year-old Indian living in Sharjah who also won $1 million (Dh3.67 million) on September 3.

Devarajan picked his birth year 1978 when he purchased the winning ticket online for MM series 514 on August 14. He and his friends have been pooling their extra money to buy a raffle draw ticket every month since 2009.

“It was unbelievable,” said Devarajan, recalling the moment a Dubai Duty Free staff member called to break the news.

Devarajan, who is originally from Chennai, is a father of two. He works as a manager for a hospital, where he met his friends who also became his partners for the draw. “We have never won any promotions before, and it was the first time we won such a big amount ($1 million),” he told Khaleej Times.

When asked about his plans for his share of the jackpot, he said: “I will definitely save it for my children’s education (his son is in grade 13; and daughter in  grade 5).

Gopi with his friends

“I may also use a part of the prize money to buy a house or start a small business, added Devarajan, who plans to continue to work and live in the UAE.

UAE: Two groups of Indian expats win $1 million each in Dubai Duty Free draw Dubai Duty Free posts record half-year sales with revenue of Dh4.118 billion