Dubai: Jordanian expat Fayez Awadeh won a Dh1.4m apartment in Dubai as the winner of Global Village’s Season 24 raffle draw, it was announced on Friday.
The 35-year-old, who has been living in the UAE since he was two months old, told Gulf News on Saturday: “It’s taking a bit of time to process all this. I’m just grateful.”
The father of two, who works in the pharmaceutical sector, won the million-dirham apartment located at Jaddaf Waterfront in Dubai Wharf residential community.
Thousands had entered the draw registering with Dh15 entry tickets and Wonder Pass card purchases for the chance to win. VIP pack holders were also automatically registered.
The draw took place on Friday at the ARN Studios in the presence of Dubai Economy representatives.
‘I thought it was a joke’
Awadeh said he last visited Global Village in “November or October” of 2019, when he had purchased the winning entry ticket.
“When I got the call that I won, the first thing I thought was this is an April Fool’s joke for sure. But it turned out to be true.”
He added: “The UAE means a lot to me, I’ve lived here all my life. It’s a tough phase we’re all passing through with COVID-19. Stay safe.”
In a statement, Bader Anwahi, CEO of Global Village, said: “I am delighted that during this challenging time we are still able to share this good news. We thank our partner Dubai Holding, as well as the teams at the Arabian Radio Network (ARN) and (DE) for helping to make this happen under these unusual circumstances. A new home can change lives and we are thrilled to be able to make this kind of impact on the life of one of our guests. At Global Village, our mission is to ensure the happiness of our visitors by giving experiences and memories that will last a lifetime - I think we can be sure that Fayez will remember today for the rest of his life.”
Khalid Al Malik, Managing Director of Dubai Holding, said: “Since inception 15 years ago, Dubai Holding has been instrumental in shaping the landscape of Dubai and creating remarkable experiences. To mark this special occasion, we collaborated with Global Village in its mega raffle draw and are proud that we could play a role in significantly changing someone’s life for the better. I want to thank everyone who participated in the draw, and I extend my congratulations to the raffle winner.”
Anwahi added: “We are looking forward to Season 25, our Silver Jubilee year, so that we can continue to make lifelong happy memories for all our guests. On behalf of the entire team at Global Village I would like to thank our partners and guests for their support in Season 24, and hope that everyone stays safe in the coming weeks.”
