Indian expat from Kerala wins $1 million in Dubai Duty Free draw after 10 years of trying

Dubai: An Indian expat in the UAE has won $1million in the latest Dubai Duty Free (DDF) Millennium Millionaire draw held at Concourse D of Dubai International Airport on Wednesday.

Pradeep Chalatan, a 55-year-old document controller who has lived in Dubai for 20 years, hit the jackpot in Series 512 of the popular promotion with ticket number 2747, which he purchased online on August 8, DDF announced.

Pradeep, originally from the south Indian state of Kerala, has been buying tickets for over 10 years. He has shared the cost of the winning ticket with a colleague from India.

A father of two, Pradeep works for an architectural consultancy in the city.

“I’m very thankful to Dubai Duty Free. You’ve secured my family’s future,” he told the organisers after receiving the life-changing news.

He is the 256th Indian national to win $1 million in the Millennium Millionaire promotion since it began in 1999, with Indian nationals being by far the biggest purchasers of tickets, DDF said.