An Indian expatriate living in Dubai has won US$1 million in the Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire promotion after participating in the draw regularly for five years.
Bhanu Sobhani, a 40-year-old Indian national, won the jackpot with ticket number 0489 in Millennium Millionaire Series 557. He purchased the ticket at Concourse B of Dubai International Airport on September 2 while travelling to Poland for a business trip.
Sobhani has lived in Dubai for 10 years and operates a textile and garment factory in Bur Dubai. He has participated in Dubai Duty Free promotions since 2021, purchasing an average of five to 10 tickets a year when travelling. According to Sobhani, he did not select his winning number based on any particular personal significance. He said he generally chooses a number quickly when travelling.
The businessman said he had almost forgotten that the draw was taking place when he received a telephone call from Dubai Duty Free on Wednesday morning. The caller asked him for his ticket details before informing him that he had won the US$1 million Millennium Millionaire prize. Sobhani initially found the news difficult to believe and checked Dubai Duty Free’s Facebook page before accepting that he had won.
Sobhani said his wife had questioned his spending on the raffle tickets over the years. He had described the ticket purchases to her as an investment. Following the announcement, he contacted his mother, who became emotional after hearing the news. He also shared the news with his two daughters, aged 13 and six.
The US$1 million prize is equivalent to approximately Dh3.67 million. Sobhani said he intends to put the money toward investments, including fixed deposits and property. He already owns four villas in Dubai and said he could consider purchasing additional property if he finds a suitable opportunity. He also plans to donate part of the winnings to charity, including potentially supporting a temple in India.
The win came shortly before Sobhani’s birthday, which is scheduled for the following month. He described the prize as an advance birthday gift and said he had continued to hope that he would eventually win. Despite receiving the jackpot, Sobhani said he plans to continue participating in Dubai Duty Free promotions.
Sobhani was one of two Indian nationals to win US$1 million in the latest Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire draws. Saravanan Malairaj, a 36-year-old Indian national living in Abu Dhabi, won the second US$1 million prize in Millennium Millionaire Series 558 with ticket number 4905. He purchased his ticket online on September 1.
Malairaj has lived in Abu Dhabi since 2009 and works as a storekeeper for a construction company. He has participated in the Dubai Duty Free promotion for about six months. He said he hopes to use the money to pursue his long-standing ambition of owning a mall in Tamil Nadu, India. Other reports said he also plans to support the future of his young children through the winnings.
The latest draw also produced winners of luxury vehicles. Shailesh Kumar, a 47-year-old Indian national living in Dubai, won a Range Rover SE P360 in Charente Grey with ticket number 1346 in Finest Surprise Series 1964. Separately, Sajjad Siddiqui, an Indian national based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, won a BMW R 12 GS motorcycle with ticket number 0749 in Finest Surprise Series 679.
According to Dubai Duty Free, Sobhani and Malairaj became the 283rd and 284th Indian nationals to win US$1 million through the Millennium Millionaire promotion since it began in 1999. The promotion has continued to attract substantial participation from Indian nationals, who Dubai Duty Free identifies as its largest group of ticket purchasers.
For Sobhani, the win marks the end of a five-year period of regular participation in the promotion. His winning ticket, purchased during an international business trip, has resulted in a US$1 million prize and plans for further investment, property and charitable giving.
