Dubai: Shahreen Ahmad’s dream of owning a restaurant is closer to reality now after he won Dh77,777 in the recent Emirates Draw.
The 26-year-old Pakistani expatriate said: “I couldn’t believe it when I saw my name on the screen. It was such a happy and exciting moment for me. I called my wife back home to tell her that I had won, and she told me to collect my winnings and be back home.
Ahmad, who works as a delivery boy in Dubai, revealed that he had decided to purchase a ticket on the spur of the moment from an authorised retail store in Al Barsha. “I was inspired by the stories of other winners, so I thought I too would participate. I always wanted to start my own restaurant. I bought my ticket and decided to choose random numbers,” he said.
First thing to do
Ahmad further said: “The first thing I want to do is take a vacation and visit my family. I’m also going to set aside some money for my children’s education and then I’m using the remaining amount for my restaurant,” the father of two explained, revealing that he was inspired by what he saw and experienced while working at a restaurant in a previous job.
Ahmad added that he planned to continue participating in Emirates Draw: “My life changed with just Dh50, which inspired me to keep trying every week. Hopefully, I might win again in the future.”
How to play?
To date, more than Dh21 million have been given away in prize money to more than 15,000 winners since the organisation’s inception in September 2021. The grand prize remains Dh100 million until a single person or a group of people can match all seven numbers correctly.
Entrants can choose to participate in the weekly draw by purchasing a Dh50 pencil that will support in planting coral polyps. After registering online, participants can select their seven-digit number or have the system choose their number randomly.
With their purchase, participants are entered into two separate draws, the first one is a raffle draw where every week, seven lucky participants are guaranteed to win Dh77,777 each. In addition, all participants are entered into a second draw with six prize categories in it that include a grand prize of Dh100 million.
The next draw will be on Sunday, April 3, at 9pm (UAE time). It will be live-streamed across Emirates Draw digital platforms.
