UAE: How a Pakistani driver turned millionaire has been spending his Dh50 million cash prize
Junaid Rana - who also recently won a Mercedes SUV - has shared his new riches with others
Dubai: A little over a year ago, in October 2021, Junaid Rana, who used to work as a driver, won Dh50 million in the Mahzooz draw in the UAE.
And two months ago, the 36-year-old Pakistani expat bagged another prize in a draw - a Mercedes AMG G63 G Wagon valued at Dh1.36 million.
Sharing his life-changing journey with Gulf News, Rana said he was in the habit of trying his luck at the Mahzooz draw every month after his salary would arrive. Last October was no exception.
“I usually participated in Mahzooz when my salary got credited. That month, my salary was delayed due to a public holiday, but just in time for the Mahzooz draw. I clicked on six random numbers two hours before the draw’s cut-off. I was at the gas station and decided to open my Mahzooz app. I picked random numbers and filled it out. I am not great at remembering numbers. So it was not any birthday or anniversary I had filled out. It was completely random numbers that came into my head,” he said.
And so on a Saturday evening, instead of stepping out of his car to shop for groceries, he instead stayed in and participated in the draw.
He picked numbers 6, 11, 21, 32, 33, 46.
Even as a child, Rana had an inkling he would win a jackpot one day. “I would always tell my mother that I would win a lottery one day and help my family. And that is exactly what happened.”
From earning Dh6,000 a month as a driver, today Rana sits on a number of real estate investments that fetch him a monthly rent return of over Dh50,000.
Although for long Rana dreamt of becoming a millionaire, on the day he turned a multi-millionaire, it was just another day for him. “The only unusual thing I did was offering to sponsor my barber’s wedding when I went to get a haircut that day,” he said.
New homes
Rana, who has three brothers and one sister, added that he has bought his siblings homes and plazas for them to earn revenue from. “I myself have purchased multiple Damac Lagoon villas and International City apartments. Plus I have built a massive villa back home in Islamabad with full- fledged security.”
Rana’s childhood was riddled with financial hardships. “My dad’s small embroidery and tailoring business barely covered my siblings’ and my school fees. I dropped out of school after ninth grade. I did odd promotion and sales job to support him. My family and I moved back to Pakistan where he passed away due to kidney failure when I was 18. Maybe, if we had had enough money back then, my father would have lived longer,” said Rana, who also used the money to pay off old loans.
“My greatest dream has always been to build a sprawling mansion where all my siblings and their families and my family can live together with our mother. I am so glad I did that.”
‘Never stop dreaming’
Rana said after winning, he has been surrounded by people who suddenly appeared in his life seeking financial help. “I know the value of money. And so I will help those in need of genuine help. There is no magic formula for picking winning numbers. I credit my windfall to my parents and their blessings,” he said.
“We all should do good and help one another... There is no other explanation why I felt like participating in the draw and picked those random numbers. I manifested my dreams, and so I want to tell people to never stop dreaming. Dreams have a way of coming true if you have unwavering belief in them. And always do good deeds – what goes around always comes around.”