Dubai: Engineer Jason William Saldanha, 50, could not believe his luck when he was informed that he had won $1 million (Dh3.6 million) in the Dubai Duty Free's Millennium Millionaire promotion held on Tuesday at Shaikh Rashid Terminal.
Saldanha, an Indian based in Sharjah, was at work when he received the good news.
"This is the first time I have won anything in my life, and this is just great," he said.
First ticket
Saldanha, who works for Gulf Rope & Plastics Products Company, bought his first ticket on July 31 when he flew to India for his annual holiday.
Dubai Duty Free also announced three more winners, each winning a luxury vehicle, in Dubai Duty Free's Finest Surprise promotion.
Mushtaq, a Dubai-based Indian, won a Mercedes Benz S500 (Palladium Silver) while Rashid Abdul Rahman Rashid from Bahrain won a Porsche 911 Carrera T.
Yoko Takeshima, a Japanese who lives in Tokyo, won a Harley Davidson VRSCAW-V Rod. All the winners will be surprised when they learn about their prizes.
Previous winners
A presentation for previous winners took place after the draw. Somen K.C., a Dubai-based Indian, was delighted to collect his Mercedes Benz S500. Jurgen Meyer from Germany was invited by Dubai Duty Free to come for the presentation and collect his BMW X6 50i Sport.
The Finest Surprise draw, now in its 21st year, has awarded over 1,430 travellers from 69 countries with luxury cars following their purchase of a $139 (Dh510) ticket.
