Pakistani driver wins life-changing Dh50m in prize draw
The winner of the biggest prize draw windfall in the Gulf has been revealed.
Junaid Rana, from Pakistan, collected a cheque for a life-changing Dh50 million ($13.6m) yesterday.
Mr Rana, 36, works as a company driver and earned about Dh6,000 a month.
The win has made him one of the wealthiest residents in the country.
Mr Rana matched all six numbers in the draw. It is the first time in 48 weeks that someone has taken home the grand prize.
“I feel so happy. My family was going crazy when I told them,” said Mr Rana.
“I do not have dreams of buying a sports car. I am just happy with my life.
“I still haven’t decided if I will keep working. I might bring my family here or move back home.”
The father of two said his wife and family lived in Pakistan. More than 30 members of their family live under the same roof.
Mr Rana found out on Sunday morning that he had won Dh50m.
“I was sitting with the security guy who told me someone had won Dh50m,” he said.
“I started matching the numbers and then saw all numbers matched. I was so happy … I can’t describe it.”
Mr Rana said he chose the numbers randomly but his colleagues and friends were now asking him to buy raffle draw tickets on their behalf.
“This is life-changing for me,” he said.
“I haven’t decided what I will do with the money. I still can’t believe that I have won such a big amount.
“I don’t want to waste the money but would like to do something that would be useful to my children.”
Mr Rana also has a debt to clear. “I have a loan of Dh100,000 that I have to pay off,” he said.
Mr Rana moved to the UAE as a child and lived in the country until he was 18, when he moved back home.
He returned to the UAE to look for a job and joined Dragon Mart for a monthly salary of Dh2,000.
Yaser Rana, his elder brother, said he was shocked when he received the news about his sibling’s win.
“I imagined it may be around Dh10,000 or up to Dh100,000, but when he told me it was Dh50 million I thought I was dreaming.”