Shared smiles for 10 expats in raffle

Mahzooz winners take home Dh100,000 apiece

The lives of as many as 10 expatriates have changed for the better overnight after winning the secondtier prize of Dh1 million in the 43rd weekly Mahzooz draw. They matched five out of six winning numbers (3, 6, 9, 11, 23 and 43) and bagged Dh100,000 each.

The prize came at a perfect time for 45-year-old Indian expat Sulthan, who was able to save his home from foreclosure. He said: “Mahzooz came as a ray of hope during a really dark time in my life — I almost lost my dream home as I couldn’t afford to pay the mortgage I had back in India.

“Thankfully, luck knocked on my door at the right time,” added Sulthan, who works as a storekeeper in Dubai.

Decent life for family

Filipino expat, Hannibal, 53, who works with an ambulance service in Abu Dhabi, said he will use his winnings to secure a decent life for his family. “I will invest my prize money to grant the best education for my children and to secure a better future for them. After all, they’re all I have in life,” he shared.

Nelson, 44, another Filipino expat residing in Abu Dhabi, also has his family on his mind. The maintenance supervisor said: “I have always dreamt of bringing my family here in the UAE. Thanks to Mahzooz, I can now realise this long-standing dream and reunite with them.”

Bringing his family to the UAE is also the plan of another lucky winner, Jabeer, 43, who works as a foreman in Dubai. The expatriate from India said: “I am still unable to believe that I won Dh100,000 overnight.”

Lucky place

Securing a better education for his children, meanwhile, is on the mind of Bahaa, 36, an Abu Dhabi resident from Lebanon, who works as an estimation manager. He said: “I have lived in the UAE for 10 years and the country has always brought me good fortune. I feel lucky and blessed.”

Ulysses, 58, a Filipino expat living in Saudi Arabia, chose his numbers combining the dates of his parents’ birthdays, their death anniversaries and their age when they left him. “When I chose my Mahzooz numbers for last week, I had a gut feeling that I would be a winner because those numbers were significant in my life. Now that I have won, I’ll cherish these numbers even more.”

Meanwhile, Vimesh, 38, an Indian national who works as a salesperson in an electronics company in Abu Dhabi, commended Mahzooz for its affordable structure. “Mahzooz is a draw that gives everyone the opportunity to change their lives for the better,” he said.

Three more winners, two Filipinos and a Canadian, also shared the Dh1 million second-tier prize and took home Dh100,000 each.