Dubai resident wins Big Ticket prize after 25 years in UAE

Luck finally smiled on Chucri Helayel, a 57-year-old Lebanese marketing professional who has called Dubai home for the past 25 years. After years of trying his luck, he finally won Dh50,000 in Big Ticket’s weekly e-draw.

“Are you serious? Awesome, thank you,” Helayel exclaimed when show host Richard broke the news of his win on air.

Helayel, who purchased ticket number 401060, said he has been participating in the raffle for many years.

“I know about Big Ticket because I’ve been living in Dubai for so long, so I decided to take part and start buying tickets,” he said.
 “Imagine my surprise when, after all those years of trying, I finally received the call that I had won! At first, I was cautious and thought it might be a scam. But when it was confirmed, I was overjoyed, still unable to fully process it.”

Unlike many winners who share entries with friends or colleagues, Helayel bought the ticket on his own.

“I haven’t yet decided how to use the prize money, partly because I had made plans for what I would do if I won the grand prize,” he said.

“Regardless, I will certainly keep trying my luck with Big Ticket. My message to others is simple: if you don’t take that step and buy a ticket, you’ll never know what you could win.”