Millionaire raffle pays off for first-time visitor to Dubai

The chances of winning the Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire Draw are far greater than Britain's National Lottery, which is why Peter Jacobs thought he'd try his luck. Jacobs was on his way back to London after spending a week's holiday in Dubai with his wife and two children when he bought a ticket. That decision proved to be worth $1 million and yesterday he received his winning cheque from Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman of Emirates airline.

Jacobs, a corporate financier, said, "Someone had told me about the draw and I planned to buy a ticket for the millionaire draw and the car draw on my way back home. "The chances of winning the National Lottery are 14 million to one, but the odds in this raffle are much better."

Tickets for the Millennium Millionaire Draw cost Dh1,000 and each draw is limited to 5,000 tickets. "I was speechless when I received a phone call saying I had won," he said. "Initially I wondered if it was someone's idea of a joke and who from the office was behind it." The reality eventually sank in and football fan Jacobs is planning three events to celebrate his win - a party for colleagues at work, a family holiday and taking three tables of friends to Fulham Football Club's end of season dinner in May.

"Fulham are going to get promoted to the Premiership this season so it will be a double celebration." Jacobs was on his first visit to Dubai with his wife Sue, 13-year-old son Matthew and nine-year-old daughter Rachel during the school half term holidays in October when he bought his winning ticket. "We had a fantastic time with perfect weather, good food and it was just very relaxing," he said. "In October there's not that many places which are a relatively short flight from England which have guaranteed weather."

He said he would buy another ticket for the draw when he leaves for home today, but wouldn't bother with another ticket for the car draw "as I didn't win last time." Meanwhile, a British banker sat proudly in the driver's seat of a brand new Jaguar sports car yesterday after his name was picked out as a winner in the Dubai Duty Free Finest Surprise draw.
But David Lloyd wasn't getting too attached to his prize - he had bought the ticket as a favour for a friend's father.

Lloyd had been given £50 by Mike Lewis to buy the ticket when he transited through Dubai on his way to visit Lewis's son who lives in Australia. "I arrived in Dubai and saw the cost of the ticket was actually £100 so I decided to buy the ticket on the way back. Mike's son gave me the other £50 for the ticket and I bought it on my way home."

Lloyd wrote his own name on the draw slip and was called up to say he had won and invited back to Dubai to receive the pacific blue Jaguar XK8. "At least I got to sit in the car, but unfortunately it's not mine," he said yesterday, after receiving the keys from Sheikh Ahmed. "I'm not sure what Mike will do with the car. If it was right-hand drive I am sure he would keep it, but it's left-hand drive."