Dubai: A Belgian expatriate living in Dubai is the latest UAE millionaire. He is joined in the jackpot win celebrations by a Pakistani expatriate living in Saudi Arabia. They both take home a million dollars each in the latest Dubai Duty Free (DDF) Millennium Millionaire and Finest Surprise promotion held on May19 at Concourse B in Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport.
Gert Maria Kloeck, who turns 43 on May 31, said the million dollar win was an early birthday gift. Kloeck, who works as a senior project manager for a government company in Dubai, said the news was yet to fully sunk in. He said some of the prize money would go towards paying off a car loan and a mortgage. The rest of the amount would be put into investments and savings.
Kloeck said he bought his winning ticket online during the Eid holidays. “There were only two tickets left and this was picked for the jackpot.” Gert was excited and grateful for the win. “My wife cannot believe it. My daughters 17, and 10, are in school and they don’t know yet!," he aded.
Kloeck's winning ticket number 2036 was picked up from Millennium Millionaire Series 349, which he had bought on May 12. He is the first Belgian national to win $1 million (Dh3.67 million) since the start of the Millennium Millionaire promotion in 1999.
Waseem Ramzan, a Pakistani expatriate living in Saudi Arabia, also took home $1 million. His winning ticket 4848 was picked from the Millennium Millionaire Series 358, which he had purchased online on April 14. Ramzan was unavailable for immediate comment.
Other winners
Following the Millennium Millionaire draw, the Finest Surprise draw was conducted for two luxury cars and three motorbikes. Joining in the draw line-up was Bernard Creed, senior vice-president, Finance; Mona Al Ali, senior vice-president, Human Resources; Michael Schmidt, senior vice-president, Retail Support; and Sharon Beecham, vice-president, Purchasing.
Yutaro Adachi, a Japanese national based in Tokyo won a Range Rover Sport HSE Dynamic 3.0 P360 (Fuji White) car, with ticket number 0280 in the Finest Surprise Series 1773, which he had purchased on April 28.
Yutaro was unreachable.
Dany Abi Khalil, 46, a Lebanese expatriate in Dubai, won a BMW 760Li xDrive (Mineral White Metallic) car, with ticket number 0376 in Finest Surprise Series 1774, which he had purchased online on May 10. A regular participant in Dubai Duty Free’s promotions for three years, Khalil works as a general manager for a French company Lactalis.
“Thank you Dubai Duty Free. I’m going to keep participating in your amazing promotion and hopefully I would win the $1 million the next time I receive your call,” Khalil said.
Indian expatriate Arun Kundumkara, 35, based in Sharjah, won a BMW F850 GS Adventure (Black/Yellow) motorbike, with ticket number 0471 in Finest Surprise Series 453, which he had purchased on April 27.
A resident of Sharjah for almost ten years now, Kundumkara is a father of one and works as a systems administrator for Sony Middle East. “This is really surprising, thank you Dubai Duty Free! I really commend your promotion,” he said.
It was a lucky day for another Indian expatriate, Roysten Aranjo, 41, based in Sharjah, who won a Harley-Davidson Sportster Forty-Eight XL 1200X (Vivid Black) motorbike, with ticket number 0113 in Finest Surprise Series 454, which he had purchased online on April 19.
Owner of an air-conditioning repair shop, Aranjo, who only started buying tickets in Dubai Duty Free’s promotion last month, was ecstatic to find out that he had won a Harley motorbike. “Thank you very much Dubai Duty Free. I cannot believe I have won this early.”
Meanwhile, Dubai-based Filipina expatriate Evelyn Laus, 49, won a BMW R nineT Scrambler (Kalamta Metallic Matt) motorbike, with ticket number 0825 in Finest Surprise Series 455, which she had purchased online on May 6.
A regular participant in Dubai Duty Free’s promotion since 2016, Laus is a resident of Dubai for nine years now and works as a sales assistant for Just Accessories.
“Thank you so much Dubai Duty Free. The money that I will get from selling this motorbike will definitely go a long away,” she said.
The Millennium Millionaire draw was conducted by Colm McLoughlin, Dubai Duty Free's Executive Vice-Chairman and CEO; Salah Tahlak, Executive Vice-President, Corporate Services; and Sinead El Sibai, Senior Vice-President, Marketing.
