Dh30m UAE Lottery winner Tayab Khan to quit job, buy Mahindra Thar, Rolex watch

Abu Dhabi: Tayab Khan has many plans. Days after the 26-year-old Nepalese security guard became the first-ever winner of the UAE Lottery's Dh30 million Grand Prize, he knows exactly what he is going to do and what he is going to buy.

In an interview, the Abu Dhabi resident told Gulf News that he had been working as a security guard with a company based in Ruwais Industrial Area for four years.

He revealed that he was at work on his night shift on the first day of Eid Al Adha when the numbers he chose became the winning numbers for the Lucky Day draw on May 27.

When he got to know the life-changing news through an email at 10.30pm, his hands and legs shook as he realised that he was going to walk away with Dh6 million after splitting the historic prize equally with four close friends who pooled in Dh50 for the winning ticket.

Now, he is ready to walk away from his job too.

"I won't continue working in the same role," a jubilant Tayab revealed.

"It's time to move on and explore new directions. I want to leave the security industry and move into entrepreneurship or investment."

"I've worked as an employee for four years. Now I want to move to the next level,” he explained.

Before the bigger ambitions take shape, there are two purchases Tayab has quietly been dreaming about. "I've been eyeing a Mahindra Thar Jeep and a Rolex watch," he said.

But the wish list does not stop there. His first and firmest priority is building a home for his family in Nepal. "That's the first thing I want to do," he said. "A house for my family."

Real estate in the UAE is also on his radar. "I'm interested in real estate and may invest in an apartment in Dubai," he said.

He also wants to emulate the path followed by Nepalese expats who became successful in the UAE. "I've seen many Nepalese people succeed in business and investing here in the UAE, and I'd like to follow that path."

Before any of the plans fall into place, Tayab wanted to simply be with the people who matter most. "I wanted to celebrate with the people closest to me," he said. "My family is here, and I also plan to spend time with my friends, enjoy a nice dinner together, and share the happiness of this win."

The first people he reached for after the win were the four friends who had been pooling money and picking numbers alongside him. It is a group he had brought together on WhatsApp and named the Future Millionaires manifesting the very future he believed in.

"I called them one by one," he said.

“It was totally amazing...I called Sisir firs. He was speechless. Then I called Sudeep. So, he was the second person to know that we won.”

He said the friends then made a conference call. “We were laughing, we were having a conversation about the money, what we're gonna do, is it for real, like that,” he recalled.

Tayab said he is “happy for all of us.”

“One of my friends has been away from his family for many years. Another has just got married, and one has just become a father.”

It was after breaking news to them that he called his uncle in Nepal, whom he describes as a father figure and the person who helped him begin his journey in the UAE.

Following this, he shared the news with his partner, with whom he has been in a relationship since before moving to the UAE. "When I had nothing, she was there. Now that I have everything, she will be with me,” he said.

Winning Dh6 million has not dulled Tayab's appetite for the lottery. "As long as we're here, we can continue playing the UAE Lottery," he said, expressing his faith reflecting his belief that bigger wins could still lie ahead and his commitment to building his future in the UAE.

His broader ambition is also rooted in the UAE. "My ambition is to become an entrepreneur and investor. This win gives me the opportunity to pursue that goal and create a better future for myself and my family."

Tayab shared his message for fellow lottery players still waiting for their moment: "First and foremost, play responsibly. Set aside an amount you're comfortable with and play within your limits. It's a long journey. Success doesn't happen overnight. It may not come today or tomorrow, but if you stay patient and keep believing, your opportunity may come in the future."

It is the kind of patience Tayab himself practised, scrolling through Facebook in 2024, watching other people's winner stories, and quietly holding on to the belief that one day it could be his turn.

That day came on Eid and the Future Millionaires became the Millionaires.