Dubai Duty Free brought Diwali’s festive spirit alive at Dubai International Airport, celebrating with a draw that created several new millionaires and luxury vehicle winners.
The event, attended by special guests and dignitaries, featured not only the excitement of the draw but also the sparkle of the Diwali Festival of Light.
Dubai Duty Free's Managing Director, Ramesh Cidambi, and Deputy Managing Director, Salah Tahlak, welcomed Indian Consul General to Dubai, Satish Kumar Sivan, who joined in the ceremony, underscoring the significance of Diwali for Dubai Duty Free’s diverse workforce and global customers.
The celebrations opened with a ceremonial lamp lighting, a traditional Diwali symbol, followed by an Indian dance performance that enthralled all attendees.
Cidambi emphasised the company's connection to the festival, saying, “It was an absolute honour to be joined by the Indian Consul General, Satish Kumar Sivan, in celebrating the Diwali Festival at Dubai Duty Free. We currently employ nearly 1,000 Indian nationals, and Indian passengers account for 13-14% of our business, so it is appropriate that we mark this most popular festival celebrated all over the world.”
$1 million prize
The excitement reached its peak with the Millennium Millionaire draw, where Khalid Pervez, a Pakistani national based in Doha, Qatar, took home the grand prize of $1 million in Series 478.
Pervez, who purchased his lucky ticket (4571) on 18th October at Terminal 2 of Dubai International Airport, became the 26th Pakistani national to win the Millennium Millionaire prize since its inception in 1999. Currently unreachable, Pervez will certainly be delighted when he learns of his life-changing win.
In addition, Dubai resident Amit Saraf, an Indian national, was presented with his cheque for winning Series 477 of the Millennium Millionaire draw, making him one of the few people to have won twice. Saraf expressed his gratitude, saying, “I am very grateful for this opportunity to finally meet the people behind my many wins. I truly believe there are no better promotions than with Dubai Duty Free, so thank you so much for this amazing promotion.”
Luxury vehicles
Following the Millennium Millionaire draw, Dubai Duty Free also held its Finest Surprise Promotion, which awarded luxury cars and motorbikes to lucky winners.
Hadi Sidani, a Lebanese national, won a BMW 740i M Sport, and though currently unavailable for comment, his ticket number 264 will bring him joy.
Indian national Avish Thottuparambath from Ajman won a BMW R12 motorbike and shared his excitement, stating, “I’m happy for this win, which came as a surprise. Thank you so much Dubai Duty Free.”
Lastly, Mohamed Ashmawy, a long-time Dubai resident and Egyptian national, won an Indian Scout Bobber motorbike. A regular participant in Dubai Duty Free promotions, Ashmawy expressed his delight, “Thank you, Dubai Duty Free. It was my dream for a long time, glad it finally came true.”
Diwali offers
In addition to the thrilling prize draws, Dubai Duty Free introduced a variety of special offers for Diwali. Passengers and shoppers enjoyed exclusive discounts on gold, perfumes, confectionery, and liquor products. A particularly attractive offer was the chance to win one of ten Dubai Duty Free 40th Anniversary 10-gram gold bars. The ‘Diwali Special Offers’ added even more sparkle, with discounts on gold products priced above AED 8,000 and a discount of AED 5 per gram.
Celebrations
The event wrapped up with a cake-cutting ceremony led by Sivan, bringing together the entire management team and the Consul General for a final celebratory group photo. Present among the gathering were key members from Dubai Duty Free, including Mona Al Ali, SVP - Human Resources; Michael Schmidt, SVP - Retail; Sharon Beecham, SVP - Purchasing; and Zayed Al Shebli, SVP - Loss Prevention & Corporate Security.
As Diwali brings the promise of light and good fortune, Dubai Duty Free captured the spirit perfectly with its generosity and hospitality, making the festival unforgettable for travellers, employees, and new winners alike. The celebrations brought joy, prizes, and memories to last a lifetime, keeping the Diwali spirit alive at the heart of one of the world’s busiest airports.