Bagging Dh1m and splitting it among 30 close friends

Dubai: Mohammad Mustapha Maniyan Kunnan, 36, from India is a house driver in Al Ain. With a salary of only Dh800 at the time, he and some 29 friends decided to put some money in a pot and buy an Abu Dhabi Duty Free Big Ticket Draw raffle ticket.

In November 2006, they won Dh1 million and divided the winnings amongst themselves.

"All my friends put some money together, what they could afford. Some put Dh25, some put Dh100 and we bought a ticket. I got Dh25,000," said Kunnan, who arrived in the UAE in 1992.

The winning changed his life. He bought land in his native Kerala and built himself a house for his parents, his wife and two babies to live in. He also helped a friend put his children through school and paid for a neighbour's daughter's wedding. "Dh1million is a lot in Indian rupees, people in my family know that I have only won Dh25,000 and now it is finished, but some people still cannot believe that it is all gone. I still get asked for money today," he said. "It can be a problem."

Today Kunnan earns Dh1,000 and even though he is still working as a house driver, he and his friends continue to pool their money together to buy a ticket every month.

"I drive to the airport and usually put it in my name," he said.