Dubai: An expatriate in the UAE has just struck gold, quite literally.
Edmundo Catangay from the Philippines has been declared winner of a kilo of gold worth Dh150,000 at a recent raffle, which is part of the annual Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) extravaganza.
The precious metal is estimated to be worth more than 2 million pesos in the Filipino expat's home currency. It was the grand prize of Majid Al Futtaim’s shopping promotion during DSS that encouraged mall visitors to spend a minimum amount.
The expat, a father of three children, has been in the UAE for two years now and intends to use his winnings to purchase a house and lot back home. He works as a general techinican in Ras Al Khaimah.
He admitted, though, that he had forgotten about joining in the draw, so when he received a phone call from the organisers, he thought he just got pranked.
All throughout the DSS period, a huge gold bar was on display at City Centre Deira to entice shoppers to open their wallets. As part of the campaign, those who spent at least Dh200 at any stores at City Centre Deira until August 12 had the opportunity to bring home the precious metal.
Shoppers who spent at least Dh400 at any fashion outlet in the same mall also had the opportunity to bag airfares for two people to visit various destinations, including Oman, Jordan, India, Sri Lanka and Lebanon.
