Dubai: A German expat in Dubai has become the first $1 million (around Dh3.67 million) winner of 2022 in the latest Dubai Duty Free (DDF) Millennium Millionaire draw held on Wednesday.
Rolf Hartung, 67, had purchased his winning ticket number 0176 for the Millennium Millionaire Series 378 online on December 17, 2021.
A resident of Dubai for 20 years, Hartung is a father-of-two and works as a director for a hospital in Dubai. He is a regular participant of DDF.
Speaking to Gulf News, Hartung said he will use the cash prize to buy a property in Dubai. “This is not only a great joy but a great honour. I’m really surprised, I never thought that I will win one day,” he said.
Hartung is the seventh German national to win $1 million since the start of the Millennium Millionaire promotion in 1999.
Another millionaier
Joining Hartung as a $1 million winner for 2022 is Kenyan national Tajinder Dhanjal, 45, who is based in Nairobi. She was announced as the winner of $1 million in Millennium Millionaire Series 379 with ticket number 1304 that she purchased online on New Year’s Eve (December 31, 2021).
A regular participant in DDF’s promotion for 10 years now, Dhanjal is a housewife and mother-of-two. “I cannot explain how much I appreciate this,” she said.
Dhanjal is the third Kenyan national to have won in DDF Millennium Millionaire promotion since 1999.
Finest Surprise draw
Following the Millennium Millionaire draw, the Finest Surprise draw was conducted for one luxury car and three motorbikes.
Hashem Almousawi, a 63-year-old Kuwaiti national based in Mansouriya, Kuwait, won a Mercedes Benz S500 car with ticket number 1298 in Finest Surprise Series 1792, which he purchased on December 15, 2021 on his way back to Kuwait from Dubai.
A regular participant in Dubai Duty Free’s promotion for 15 years now, Almousawi is a retired banker and a father of two.
Indian expat Prakash Lakshmanan, 34, who is based in Sharjah, won an Aprilia Tuono 660 motorbike with ticket number 0309 in Finest Surprise Series 480, which he purchased online on December 3, 2021. A resident of the UAE for 13 years now, Lakshmanan is a father-of-one and works as an offshore structural designer for an oil and gas company in Sharjah.
A regular participant in Dubai Duty Free’s promotion for five years, Lakshmanan was thrilled to win his “dream bike”. He said: “I’ve been buying tickets to your promotion for a long time, glad to finally win. Many thanks Dubai Duty Free.”
Another Indian expat, Rajeshwar Padkanti, based in the UAE, won an Indian Super Chief motorbike with ticket number 0343 in Finest Surprise Series 481, which he purchased online on December 10, 2021.
Padkanti is currently uncontactable.
Lastly, Jordanian expat Saleh Al Shawa, a 50-year-old based in Dubai, won a BMW R 1250 R motorbike with ticket number 0938 in Finest Surprise Series 482, which he purchased online on December 21, 2021.
A regular participant in Dubai Duty Free’s promotion for more than 15 years now, Al Shawa is a father-of-two. “Thank you for the amazing win, amazing news for the new year,” he said.
