Indian Big Ticket winner Eldho Mathew from Kerala.
Adding to the growing list of Indian winners, two expats have secured Dirham 25,000 (Rs 6,53,203) each in the latest Big Ticket Abu Dhabi draw.
Eldho Mathew and Ayyalu Samy won the prizes in the 291st draw after their ticket numbers were picked in the third weekly e-draw for September.
Mathew, a 30-year-old driver from Kerala, has been living and working in Kuwait for the past eight years, while his family remains in India.
He was introduced to Big Ticket by friends who regularly participated in the draw and later joined a group of 25 people.
The win was particularly special for Mathew as he could celebrate it alongside his friends.
“It was such a happy moment for all of us. We participate together, so finding out that we had won together was a really good feeling,” he said.
Mathew plans to continue participating in future Big Ticket draws.
Samy, who is from Tamil Nadu, has lived and worked in the UAE for 15 years, while his family remains in India. Although he sometimes participates with friends, he bought his latest ticket independently and selected the number randomly.
“I was very happy when I received the call. I had purchased this ticket by myself and selected the number randomly, so finding out that I had won was a really nice surprise,” he said.
Samy said he plans to use the prize money to support his family in India.
Two Bangladeshi expatriates, Mohammed Shahadat and Abul Bashar, were also among the winners in the latest draw.
Shahadat, a 38-year-old sales executive who has lived in Abu Dhabi for 16 years, won Dh25,000 with a group of 12 friends. He plans to send his share of the prize money to his family in Bangladesh.
Bashar, a 56-year-old painter who has lived in Sharjah for 34 years, was part of a group of 20 friends that also won a prize. He plans to support his family and donate part of his share to charity.
September’s Big Ticket promotion is nearing its end, with a Dh 20 million (Rs 52,25,62,400) grand prize still up for grabs in the live draw on October 3.
The draw will also feature Dh 1.95 million (Rs 5,09,49,834) in consolation prizes for five winners.
One winner will receive Dh 1 million (Rs 2,61,28,120), another Dh 500,000 (Rs1,30,64,060) and a third Dh 250,000 (Rs 65,32,030), while two winners will each receive Dh 100,000.
Tickets can be purchased online through the Big Ticket website or at sales counters located at Zayed International Airport and Al Ain Airport in the UAE.
This post was last modified on September 28, 2026 6:13 pm