‘We are millionaires now’: 10 Indian expats from Kerala win $1m in Dubai, reveal plans

Dubai: Ten Indian expats from Kerala are celebrating after jointly winning $1 million in the latest Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire draw. While most are still processing the news, a few have hinted at plans to resign and return to India.

The group includes UAE-born Sabish Peroth, 42, a senior operations supervisor at a logistics company in Jebel Ali.

Sabish purchased the winning ticket number 4296 online on July 4 and shared the cost with nine of his Indian colleagues, an office group that has been participating in the draw for six years.

“We were 20 when we started, but 10 of us stayed on. We have been buying the DDF ticket for six years now,” Sabish told Gulf News.

Sabish, who lives in Sharjah with his wife and daughter, said he was stunned when Dubai Duty Free contacted him on Wednesday saying he is the winner of the Millennium Millionaire Series 508.

“I thought it was a prank call at first. But then they told me to check Facebook. Once I confirmed, I started shivering,” recalled a jubilant Sabish.

He said the group was elated. “I called my wife and my friends and said: ‘We are millionaires now'...Everyone is thrilled.”

Interestingly, Sabish is the fourth DDF winner from the same company. "We seem to be really lucky," he said.

Three of the winning colleagues had previously won smaller amounts through other lottery groups, he said. “Two of them got Rs3.4million and another won Rs 900,000. But this time, it’s a much bigger amount when you convert it,” he pointed out.

While no major spending decisions have been made yet, Sabish plans to take his family to different countries and some members are even considering resigning and heading home to India.

“Most of my colleagues are settled and their families are back home in Kerala. At least three of them have said they are going to resign and go back home soon. But first, we’ll celebrate,” Sabish said.

Sabish said he enjoys travelling and has taken his family to nearby countries. “Now, we’ll look further,” he said happily.

As for the first purchase he plans to make, it is something simple but close to his heart—a toy for his 11-year-old daughter.

“My daughter didn’t really understand how much money it is. When I asked her what she wanted, she simply said she wants a toy. I asked if it was a Labubu, but she said no. She’ll tell me which one when we go shopping.”