Expat Wins $1 Million After 24 Years Of Buying Duty-Free Raffle Tickets In Dubai

A South Korean national also won the grand prize for the first time since the promotion launch in 1999

A 49-year-old Indian expat in Dubai finally hit the jackpot after 27 years of buying Dubai Duty-Free raffle tickets. Mohamed Batcha is one of two lucky winners who bagged $1 million in Wednesday's recent Dubai Duty-Free Millennium Millionaire draw. Mohamedbatcha works as a senior officer for a bank and has been living in the emirate for 20 years. He is the father of two. "Thank you, Dubai Duty-Free, for this very timely win," said the expat, who bought his winning ticket online on June 5. Mohamedbatcha is the 231st Indian national to have won the Millennium Millionaire promotion since 1999.

Dollar Millionaire

The other Dubai Duty-Free raffle ticket holder who bagged $1 million was Ye Shin-Kyu, a 46-year-old South Korean national based in Seoul. Ye, the first South Korean national to win the jackpot, has regularly participated in the promotion for more than five years. He bought his lucky ticket on his way to South Korea on May 21.

He said, "I am shocked! Thank you so much, Dubai Duty Free".

 1 Luxury car and two motorbikes

The Millennium Millionaire Finest Surprise draw was conducted for one luxury car and two motorbikes. Mathias Fernandes, a 44-year-old Indian expat based in Dubai, won a BMW 740i M Sport, a Tanzanite Blue Metallic car. A regular participant in Dubai Duty-Free's promotion for 24 years, Fernandes is a second-time car winner, having won a Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe in July 2009.

"I am always grateful to Dubai Duty-Free because they have the best products and promotions," said Fernandes, the father of two who works in an architectural firm. Naveed Akhtar, a Pakistani national based in the UAE, won a BMW F 900 XR Black Storm Metallic motorbike. In comparison, Dubai-based Indian expat Devesh Mukesh Dave got an Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1100 Time Attack motorbike.

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