UAE: Indian expats from Abu Dhabi, Ajman among Big Ticket weekly e-draw winners

Dubai: Four Indian expats from the UAE are among five winners who each bagged Dh150,000 in the Big Ticket weekly e-draw held in Abu Dhabi. Interestingly, the fifth winner resides in India.

Abdul Assis, a 42-year-old oil-field worker from Kerala, has been living in Abu Dhabi for the past 13 years. He first heard about Big Ticket 10 years ago and has been purchasing tickets ever since – either on his own or with a group of 10 friends. He bought his winning ticket online and said he is “extremely happy” with the outcome.

‘Feels unbelievable’

Ashwin Unnoonni, a 33-year-old vehicle inspector from Kerala, currently lives in Ajman and has been residing in the UAE for the past nine years. He has been participating in Big Ticket every month since 2019, along with a group of 20 close friends. 

“When I received the call, I was super excited. I don’t even know what to say right now – it still feels unbelievable,” he said.
Unnoonni pointed out that the group would continue trying their luck.
“My plan is to split the prize with my friends. We’ve already decided to continue purchasing tickets together, and I’m definitely going to keep buying Big Ticket entries,”  Unnoonni noted.

Two other Indian expats from the UAE also won. Darsh Jiju was overjoyed upon hearing the news of his unexpected win, while Anup Kumar, who purchased his lucky ticket online, was ecstatic.

A winner from Karnataka
Ravi N., a 37-year-old businessman based in Karnataka, has been purchasing Big Ticket entries on his own since discovering the draw online last year. 

“When I received the call, I honestly wasn’t expecting it. I feel really good right now,” he said. “My plan is to use the prize to start a new business and expand my current one. I’ll definitely continue buying Big Ticket entries and encourage others to do the same.”