How lucky coupon and Toyota Land Cruiser changed UAE expat's life forever

There are some numbers you never forget. For me, it’s 4261. It’s not just a sequence of digits – it’s the number that changed my life forever.

It all happened on July 9, 2006, a date etched in my memory like it was yesterday. That afternoon, as I went about my day, my phone rang. The screen showed an unfamiliar number. I almost didn’t answer. But I did – and that simple decision became the start of a story I will never forget.

“Are you Khitam Al Amir?” a calm yet cheerful voice asked on the other end.

“Yes, speaking,” I replied, wondering what this was about.

“My name is Saeed,” he said. “I’m calling from the Dubai Economy Department. I am happy to inform you that you have won a brand new Toyota Land Cruiser from Al Futtaim Motors in Sharjah.”

For a moment, I was completely silent. Did I hear him right? A Land Cruiser? Me?

My heart raced as I stammered: “Are you serious? Is it really me who won?”

He laughed, sensing my disbelief. “Yes! Congratulations!”

It was the first time in my life that I had ever won anything. And it wasn’t just anything – it was a dream car. What made it even more surreal was that the winning coupon came from a Toyota Fortuner I had bought just a short while earlier during the Dubai Summer Surprises annual campaign. That Fortuner had already been a big purchase for me. I never imagined it would bring something even bigger into my life.

Or perhaps it was only natural, since it was my son Mahmoud, 10 years old at the time, who insisted on dropping the coupon into the box. To this day he tells me: “I’m the one who brought you the luck!”

After the initial shock wore off, I had to decide what to do with the Land Cruiser. Since I already had a car, I chose to sell the prize. I sold it for Dh130,000 – and that money became the seed of another dream: building a home in Amman, Jordan. That Dh130,000 was the starting brick of a house that would eventually cost nearly Dh500,000 and take eight years to complete. It wasn’t easy. Every step of the way, I took out small personal loans, rescheduled payments, and slowly turned that dream into reality. The Land Cruiser, even though I never drove it, gave me something far more valuable – it gave me the foundation for a home.

I can still feel the joy and disbelief of that day whenever I think about it. It was a reminder that sometimes life surprises you when you least expect it.

Even now, years later, I still dream of receiving another unexpected phone call telling me I’ve won something bigger. Who knows? Maybe lightning can strike twice.

But whatever happens, I will always cherish that lucky number: 4261. I even kept a picture of that winning coupon as a keepsake. Every time I look at it, I’m transported back to that summer day in 2006, to the excitement in Saeed’s voice and to the disbelief in mine. That little slip of paper is more than just a coupon; it’s a reminder that unexpected blessings can come out of nowhere and change the course of your life.