4 Indian expats strike gold in Abu Dhabi Big Ticket lucky draw

Bengaluru: Four Indian residents of Gulf countries have won 200-gram bars of 24-carat gold in the latest e-draw conducted by Abu Dhabi Big Ticket, with an Udupi native and a Bengaluru-born engineer among the fortunate winners.

The draw held during the third week of October awarded a gold bar to each winner. The estimated value of each prize is 96,500 UAE dirhams, approximately Rs 25.02 lakh.

Arun Krishnappa Kidiyoor, 45, from Udupi, has been based in Bahrain for 23 years. He had been participating in the draw with friends for several months when he received the unexpected news of his win.

Recalling the moment, Arun said he was overwhelmed with surprise and happiness after receiving the organisers’ call. He has not yet decided how he will use the gold.

“I was surprised and extremely happy to learn that I had won. I am yet to decide what to do with the gold. We should not lose faith and must continue trying,” he said.

Sadatullah Shariff, a 51-year-old civil engineer from Bengaluru, is the second prominently identified Indian winner. Having moved to Dubai for employment around a year ago, Shariff discovered the Big Ticket draw while at an airport. He subsequently began buying tickets online and offline.

The announcement initially seemed unbelievable to him, Shariff said, describing his reaction to the call informing him of the prize.

Other two winners in Sharjah

The other two winners are Jijoy Vishwan, a 51-year-old Keralite working in Sharjah, and Manisha, a freelancer living in the same emirate.

Vishwan has been employed in the contracting industry since 2007. He usually purchases tickets along with a group of five to 10 friends. He intends to share the winnings with the group and retain money to help secure his family’s future.

Manisha, meanwhile, has participated in the draw for the last three years. Her winning entry was purchased independently, and the latest result has brought her a gold bar of her own.

With each prize weighing 200 grams, the four winners have received a valuable windfall. The latest draw highlights the continued interest in Abu Dhabi Big Ticket among Indian expatriates working and living in the Gulf, where many participate individually or pool money with friends to purchase entries.

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