Indian Expat Wins UAE Lottery's Dh5 Million Prize, Plans to Buy a Home

A 42-year-old Indian expat has won the UAE Lottery's Dh5 million second prize, becoming the first person to claim the newly introduced award since the lottery shifted to its weekly format in December 2025.

Murugananth Govinthan, originally from Kanniyakumari in Tamil Nadu, won the prize in Lucky Day Draw number 260214, held on February 14. He had purchased the winning ticket jointly with his close friend and colleague, Baburao, the two splitting the Dh50 cost as they had agreed to do from the start. The Dh5 million will be divided equally between them.

What made the win even more remarkable was that it came on Murugananth's very first attempt. He had registered on the UAE Lottery platform, logged in using his own account for the first time, and bought a single ticket. That ticket matched all six winning numbers in the draw's Days section: 11, 19, 28, 15, 31, and 7.

The numbers were not chosen at random. Murugananth picked them based on personal milestones. His engagement date in November gave him 7 and 11. His daughter's birth year, 2015, gave him 15. The remaining numbers were selected together with Baburao.

UAE Lottery Winner Reveals the Moment He Found Out

Murugananth was out for dinner when the results were announced at 8:30 PM on Saturday. He returned to find several missed calls from Baburao.

"He told me we won five million," Murugananth said in an interview with Gulf News. "At first, I thought he was joking. Then I logged into my account and saw the message: Congratulations, you are a winner of five million."

The reality took time to settle. His wife suspected a scam and began searching online for information about previous UAE Lottery winners. It was only after official emails arrived from the lottery operator requesting documents that the family allowed themselves to believe it was real.

The UAE Lottery revealed Murugananth's full identity on February 25, more than a week after the draw. The announcement was accompanied by a video shared on social media, in which he spoke about his years in Dubai, his family responsibilities, and the moment his life changed.

UAE Lottery Winner Plans to Buy a Home and Start a Business in Dubai

Despite the win, Murugananth told Gulf News he has no plans to leave his job. His priorities are straightforward. He wants to pay off existing debts, build a house in his hometown in Tamil Nadu, and invest in a small business in the UAE. He also hopes his wife will be able to find a teaching position in Dubai so the family can live together.

"We have always been living in rented houses," he said. "We want to keep our belongings and finally sleep in a home of our own."

He also spoke about his late father, a daily wage worker, and what this win means beyond the money.

"Even though my father suffered a lot, I feel I can fulfill what he couldn't. I consider this a big blessing from God," he said.

Murugananth added that he was inspired to start playing after watching a video about Anilkumar Bolla, the 29-year-old Indian expat who won the UAE Lottery's Dh100 million grand prize in 2025.

How to Play the UAE Lottery Lucky Day Draw

The UAE Lottery's Lucky Day Draw takes place every Saturday at 8:30 PM. Each ticket is priced at Dh50 and automatically enters participants into the weekly Lucky Chance Raffle, which awards three guaranteed prizes of Dh100,000 each. The Dh30 million grand prize remains unclaimed. The lottery is regulated by the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority and is open to UAE residents aged 18 and above.

Since its launch, the lottery has distributed over Dh165 million in prizes to more than 800,000 players.

Murugananth and Baburao are still playing. The week after their win, they bought another ticket together.

"I bought just one ticket," Murugananth said. "Sometimes, luck comes when you least expect it."

Stay tuned for more exciting updates!