DUBAI: Amid the gloom in many parts of the world, the United Arab Emirates continues to be an oasis for millions of expatriates. Ask Sri Lankan expats, Rasika and Mishfak and they will vouch for the fact that living and working in the UAE is not only safe and secure but can also be a life-changing experience. In spite of the pandemic that has gripped the globe, Rasika and Mishfak have hit the jackpot in the Abu Dhabi Big Ticket Raffle in successive months,
Rasika was the lucky winner at the June 3 draw of the Big Ticket Raffle which brought him a windfall of Dh15 million (approximately 800 million rupees). A month earlier, Mishfak had won the grand prize at the Big Ticket Raffle draw, taking home Dh12 million (approximately 650 million rupees). Both lucky winners will share the winnings with friends, Rasika with eight others and Mishfak with many more.
Rasika, who works as an engineer in Dubai, lives further north, in the neighbouring emirate of Ras Al Khaimah. These two cities are among the seven emirates that make up the UAE, along with Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Umm Al Quwain, Ajman and Fujairah. More than 250,000 Sri Lankans are employed in the UAE across various sectors including apparel, banking, finance, engineering, hospitality and tourism.
Big Ticket Abu Dhabi wrote on its Facebook page, “Congratulations to Rasika Jds, from Sri Lanka, with winning ticket no. 213288. He won AED 15 Million in The Fantastic 15 Million series 228.”
Rasika was out with his colleagues when the Big Ticket host called him to share the good news. “My life will change,” were among the first words uttered by the excited winner, who at first found it hard to believe that he had won such a fortune.
A total of nine people split the cost for the winning Big Ticket, with Rasika’s share of Dh.100 being the highest. Rasika, who bought the lucky ticket on 29 May, will be sharing the jackpot prize with the eight others.
In an extraordinary moment of truth, last month’s winner Mishfak was invited by Richard, the popular host of the Big Ticket Raffle, to pick the winning ticket at the draw that was telecast live. And the lucky ticket that Mishfak pulled out from the raffle box turned out to be that of compatriot Rasika!
“When I got the call, I couldn’t believe Richard was on the other end of the line. I thought somebody was playing a prank on me,” Rasika told Khaleej Times.
Mishfak, a resident of Dubai, bagged his windfall with his ticket No. 054978 bought on April 29, as part of the Abu Dhabi Big Ticket raffle draw series 227. The 36-year-old Mishfak was on a vacation in Sri Lanka and it was raining heavily in his city when he received the news of his stroke of luck.
Due to the downpour, the Big Ticket Raffle host Richard couldn’t connect with Mishfak in the first attempt but succeeded in the next one.
Recollecting the momentous moment, he said: “I was excited and happy at the same time when I heard that it’s Richard from Big Ticket calling me and that time, I knew I had won because Richard only calls winners of the jackpot on the third day of every month.”
Mishfak has been purchasing the Big Ticket raffles for the past 18 months with his 20 friends, who put together enough money every month and bought the tickets.
He hasn’t planned on what he wants to do with the money but, wants to begin by solving his family’s financial problems and build a home for his children and wife. Mishfak advises people not to lose hope as if one loses today, their turn would surely come next, just like him.
What started out as a raffle with a million dirhams cash prize, has gradually grown over the years and now in its 29th year, Big Ticket is giving away grand prizes of up to 20 million dirhams.
