Indian expat compliance officer in UAE wins $1 million at Dubai Duty Free draw
Dubai resident, who won after 5 years of trying, plans to invest in property here
Dubai: It took more than five years of trying, but Gaurav Madaan's persistence finally paid off, in a spectacular fashion.
The 42-year-old compliance officer from Dubai has become the latest dollar millionaire minted by the Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire promotion, winning $1 million in a draw held at Concourse C of Dubai International Airport on Wednesday.
Madaan, an Indian national who has been living in Dubai since 2023, clinched the top prize in Millennium Millionaire Series 545 with ticket number 2916, which he had purchased online on 20th May.
Dream fulfilled
The win has clearly left him overjoyed. "Thank you Dubai Duty Free! You have fulfilled my dream," he said.
When asked what he plans to do with the money, he said: "I will invest in a property here in Dubai."
277th Indian winner
Originally from Sonipat, Delhi, Madaan works as a compliance officer for a French company based in Dubai and is a father of one.
He is now the 277th Indian national to win $1 million in the Millennium Millionaire promotion since it launched in 1999. Indian nationals continue to be the biggest purchasers of tickets in the promotion, DDF said.
Luxury car winners
Following the Millennium Millionaire draw, three luxury vehicles were given away in the Finest Surprise draw at the same event.
Sharif Abdulla Alulama, a 60-year-old Emirati national based in Dubai, drove away with a Mercedes Benz GLS 580 4M in Metallic Paint Obsidian, winning with ticket number 1195 in Finest Surprise Series 1954 through the DDF-AMEX co-branded promotion. The retired father of two was effusive in his thanks.
"Thank you to Dubai Duty Free, and especially to AMEX. I have been an AMEX member for almost 20 years, and I am thankful for the opportunities they provide to participate in Dubai Duty Free promotions. This time, luck was on my side and I am truly grateful," he said.
Second-time winners
Kapil Bhatia, a 44-year-old Indian national based in Dubai, won a Land Rover Defender 110 V8 Ultimate Edition P525 in Carpathian Grey with ticket number 1026 in Finest Surprise Series 1955, which he had purchased online on May 20.
This is not his first win. Bhatia previously won a Range Rover Sport Dynamic HSE P400 in Finest Surprise Series 1874 with ticket number 0361 in April 2024.
For Series 1955, Bhatia purchased ten tickets, with the winning ticket number 1026 representing a combination of his wife's and son's birthdays. A father of two, he works as a category manager for a retail hypermarket chain.
"As soon as I won the first time, I realised that anyone can be lucky. Keep believing and keep trying, anyone can be a winner. Thank you so much Dubai Duty Free!" he said.
Rounding off the draws, David Duppa-Miller, a 63-year-old British national based in the UK, won an Aprilia RSV4 1100 in Stingray Blue with ticket number 0976 in Finest Surprise Series 667, which he purchased online at Concourse C on May 22.
It is his second motorbike win for David also. He had previously won a BMW F 900 GS in Finest Surprise Series 656 with ticket number 0742 in February 2026. Duppa-Miller was unavailable for immediate comment.
