Dh100 million UAE Lottery: How a Lebanese expat who ‘cried jackpot’ won Dh100,000

Dubai: For months, Ahmad Othman Rifai, a Lebanese expat who regularly took part in the UAE Lottery, would tease his family with the same line: “I’m going to win one day.”

They got used to him saying he had won small amounts — if he won at all. So, when he finally told them he had struck it big, nobody believed him.

“(This time) when I was telling them I said I won! They said to me, as usual, how much did you win? Dh100, Dh1,000?” Rifai recalled.

“I told them, ‘No, Dh100,000.’ They said, ‘No… really Dh100,000?’”

Even a close friend he messaged on WhatsApp dismissed it. “He told me this is fake from somewhere,” Rifai said.

Rifai, who has been living in the UAE for six years, admitted he too had to double-check the figure.

“I started counting the zeros because I didn’t believe it. I was thinking, is it right, is it fake?” he said, smiling.

“This is something real, and I am saying it as a person who didn’t use to believe that these things are real,” Rifai added.

“It’s about luck and chance and there is Dh100 million (grand prize), so go ahead and play,” he said in his message to other players.

The UAE Lottery continues to generate excitement with every edition, offering both life-changing prizes and near-miss moments that keep participants engaged. The next draw will take place on Saturday, September 20 at 8:30pm. Players can register and explore prize opportunities at theuaelottery.ae.