DUBAI: Two new millionaires have been named in the latest Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire and Finest Surprise draws, held at Concourse B of Dubai International Airport.
An American national and an Emirati each secured $1 million, adding their names to the growing list of winners since the promotion began in 1999.
Meanwhile, three others walked away with luxury vehicles, further reinforcing Dubai Duty Free’s reputation for life-changing prizes.
Emirati and American win $1 million
Tanaz C, an American national based in Houston, Texas, clinched the $1 million prize in Millennium Millionaire Series 493. She purchased her winning ticket, number 2912, on 24 February in Concourse A East. With this win, Tanaz becomes the 14th American national to claim the coveted prize.
The Emirati winner, 62-year-old Ali Al Jaberi from Abu Dhabi, secured the $1 million jackpot in Millennium Millionaire Series 494 with ticket number 3659, which he purchased online on 5 March. A retired engineer and father of four, Al Jaberi has been trying his luck with Dubai Duty Free’s promotions for the past decade. His persistence finally paid off. “I’m very happy, many thanks to Dubai Duty Free!” he said. He is now the 16th Emirati national to win the grand prize.
Luxury vehicles won
Following the announcement of the million-dollar winners, the Finest Surprise draw awarded two luxury cars and a motorbike.
Jamal Aziz Azmi, an Indian national based in Sharjah, won a Mercedes Benz S500 (Black Paint Metallic) after purchasing ticket number 0827 in Finest Surprise Series 1913. His ticket was bought on 9 March at Terminal 2 Departure.
A second car winner, Swedi Athumani Kisokile, a 47-year-old Tanzanian national from Dar es Salaam, secured a Land Rover Defender 110 V8 HSE P525 (Santorini Black). He purchased ticket number 1253 in Finest Surprise Series 1914 and was stunned by the win. “I’m so happy. I can’t believe to have won this early with my only second ticket to your promotion, thank you so much Dubai Duty Free!” said Kisokile, a father of four working for the Tanzanian government.
Meanwhile, Abdul Qudoos, a Pakistani national based in Ajman, took home a BMW S 1000 XR M Package (Light White) motorbike with ticket number 0195 in Series 617. He purchased his ticket on 28 February at Terminal 2 Public Shop.
Millennium Millionaire Series
This latest draw follows another life-changing win earlier this month. On 5 March, a group of 10 Indian colleagues jointly won $1 million in Millennium Millionaire Series 492. Their ticket, number 3793, was purchased online on 19 February. Prasad Sivadasan, a 45-year-old Indian national and long-time Dubai resident, represented the group. A system engineer in Bur Dubai, Sivadasan revealed that he and his colleagues have been pooling funds to buy tickets for the past seven to eight years.
Indian nationals continue to be the most frequent winners of the Millennium Millionaire promotion, with 246 winners since its inception.
Additional winners in the Finest Surprise draw included Shahul Hameed, a 38-year-old Indian national based in Abu Dhabi. He won a BMW M850i Gran Coupe (Tanzanite Blue Metallic) with ticket number 985 in Series 1911.
Adel Ranjbar, a 47-year-old Iranian national in Dubai, won a BMW 740i M Sport (Tanzanite Blue Metallic) with ticket number 98 in Series 1912.
Two more motorbike winners completed the list. Kamal Thahaseel Shakur, a 48-year-old Indian national and FedEx regional manager based in Dubai, won an Indian Scout Bobber Limited Plus Tech (Black Smoke) with ticket number 175 in Series 615.
The final winner, Htet Pine-Oo, a 36-year-old Myanmar national in Sharjah, made history as the first from his country to win a motorbike in Dubai Duty Free’s Finest Surprise promotion since its inception in 2002. He secured a BMW R12 (Black Storm Metallic) with ticket number 816 in Series 616. “I love Dubai Duty Free! Thank you for this win,” he said.