The new Dubai Duty Free (DDF) million dollar winner has been finally located.
He is 30-year-old Saeid Bazdar from Dominican Republic, and the first from his country to win at the DDF.
Organisers of DDF said on Tuesday, November 5, that several calls to reach this Dubai expat to inform him of his big win went unanswered.
Too busy at the gym to pick up the call
But guess what, Saeid was at the gym and that is why he did not pick up the phone. “There was a call from an unknown number and I did not pick up. It was only later in the night when I heard in the news that there is a new million-dollar winner Saeid Bazdar that I came to know of my win. Also organisers of DDF had tried to reach me via email as well.”
All is well now as the new DDF winner has been located.
Who is Saeid Bazdar?
He is a 30-year-old businessman who grew up in Dubai. His father runs a general trading business dealing in rice and edible oil. Saied is a partner in the company.
In an interview with Gulf News, Saeid said he bought his winning ticket on October 12 after his best friend, Younes Ali, urged him to indulge a little bit and try his hand with lady luck.
“He said everybody is buying the DDF ticket. He asked me to buy it too. I was unsure at first, but said believe in your heart that you will win, you will then win. And look today here I am with a million dollars win. It is amazing. Thanks to my best-friend and destiny,” said Saied, a former student of University of Sharjah where he graduated in law.
What will he do with the money?
“Make everyone happy. I have two older brothers and two younger sisters. Something for everyone. But I have not had time to think a lot about my win. The news is still sinking in,” he said.
“I just want to tell people to believe in themselves. Don’t give up on your dreams. Believe in yourself as that can change your fortune like it did for me,” said Saeid who also studied English at the Hamburg College in Canada.
Saeid is the first winner from the Dominican Republic country to win in the DDF million dollar promotion since its inception in 1999. He takes home a million dollars (Dh3.678 million). His winning ticket number 0348 was bought online. DDF draw in series 315 which took place at Concourse B of Dubai International Airport.
Other winners on Tuesday, November 5
Last month's winner Lalit Sharma is a 37-year-old Indian national based in Chennai who won a million dollars attended the DDF draw where he picked up his ceremonial cheque. His winning ticket number 3743 was picked up from the series 311 last month.
The draw also gave away prize money in its DDF Finest Surprise draw for motorbikes series. Saravanan Chandran won an Indian Chief Darkhorse (Thunder Black Smoke) motorbike in series no. 385. His winning ticket number 0829 was bought online.
41-year-old Chandran works as a chemical engineer and is a regular participant to Dubai Duty Free promotions for the past two years.
Chandran said: “It has always been my dream to win in a Dubai Duty Free promotion so thank you for making it a reality.”
Another Indian-based in Bahrain Mohammed Aslam Ali won a Moto Guzzi V9 Bobber (Grigio Tempesta) motorbike in Series no. 386 with ticket number 0550, which he purchased online.
Ali is another regular purchaser of DDF tickets.
The draw on Tuesday, November 5
The Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire and Finest Surprise draw was conducted by Dubai Duty Free Executive Vice Chairman & CEO, Colm McLoughlin; COO, Ramesh Cidambi; Salah Tahlak, Executive Vice President - Corporate Services; Sinead El Sibai, Senior Vice President – Marketing; Mona Al Ali, Senior Vice President – Human Resources; and Michael Schmidt, Senior Vice President – Retail Support.
