Abu Dhabi storekeeper and Dubai textile businessman among the latest Millennium Millionaire winners
Two Indian expatriates living in the UAE have each won $1 million (about Dh3.67 million) in the latest Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire draw, with both saying the prize will help them pursue long-held plans for their families and businesses.
Saravanan Malairaj, 36, an Indian national based in Abu Dhabi, won the jackpot in Millennium Millionaire Series 558 with ticket number 4905, purchased online on September 1. He has lived in the UAE since 2009 and works as a storekeeper for a construction company.
Malairaj, who has four-year-old twins, said the money would help secure his children’s future, particularly their education. He also hopes eventually to return to India and establish his own business in Tamil Nadu.
The National reported that Malairaj left Chennai in 2009 after a difficult period for his family and had sold family land to help fund his sister’s marriage before travelling to the UAE in search of better opportunities. He currently earns about Dh8,000 a month.
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The second winner, Bhanu Sobhani, 40, is a Dubai resident who runs a textile and garment factory in Bur Dubai
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He won $1 million in Series 557 with ticket number 0489, purchased at Concourse B on September 2 before travelling to Poland for a business trip
A UAE resident for 10 years, Sobhani has participated in Dubai Duty Free promotions since 2021. He said he plans to invest part of his winnings in property and donate some to charity.
Dubai Duty Free said Malairaj and Sobhani are the 283rd and 284th Indian nationals to win $1 million in the Millennium Millionaire promotion since it began in 1999.
The latest draw also produced vehicle winners. Dubai resident Shailesh Kumar, 47, won a Range Rover SE P360, while Indian national Sajjad Siddiqui, based in Riyadh, won a BMW R12 GS motorbike.
