'It finally paid off': 5 Indian expats win 24-karat gold bars in Big Ticket draw

Five lucky expats from India took home a 200 gram, 24-karat gold bar each as consolation prize in Big Ticket’s Series 285, including a housekeeping manager, an engineer and a salesman.

For Mohammed Tazeem, a 44-year-old Indian from Telangana and a CAD Supervisor, buying the ticket served one specific purpose as his son is preparing for pilot training and he was looking for financial support. While he has not made any immediate plans to participate again in Big Ticket, he encourages others to try their luck.

Tazeem, who has been living in Saudi Arabia with his family for the past 23 years, first came across Big Ticket online and also learned about it through a friend, deciding to take part only recently.

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.

"I heard about Big Ticket while browsing online, and a friend had mentioned it to me as well. This was only my second or third time purchasing a ticket," he said. Regarding his way of picking the numbers when purchasing the ticket, he stated" I simply closed my eyes and selected a number at random.”

Recalling the moment he knew about his win, Tazeem said: “I was in India at the time, so I didn’t receive the call, but I was watching the live stream. When I saw my number on the screen, I felt incredibly excited and fortunate to have won so quickly.”

The second winner was Karthik Kumar, a 39-year-old housekeeping manager from Tamil Nadu, India, who has recently relocated to Saudi Arabia. He previously lived and worked in Abu Dhabi for 18 years with his family, who have since moved back to India following his transfer.

Reflecting on his journey, Karthik shared, “I first heard about Big Ticket during my time in Abu Dhabi, where I lived for many years. I’ve been participating in the draws for the past six years, usually every alternate month. Earlier, I used to take part with a group of friends in Abu Dhabi, and now in Saudi Arabia, I participate with a different group. I typically select my tickets at random, and this winning ticket was also chosen the same way, as part of a group of five people.”

“I didn’t receive the call as my registered Abu Dhabi number is no longer active, but I saw the email and was extremely happy. After so many years of participating, it finally paid off, and my group is equally excited," he said.

Karthik shared that the group plans to cash in the prize and split it among themselves, saying that he has not yet made specific plans for his share.

Solomon Raja, a 39-year-old Indian engineer currently based in Abu Dhabi, also won one of the 24-karat gold bars. He recently returned to the UAE four months ago after previously living in the country between 2010 and 2013.

He has been participating in Big Ticket independently for the past 10 years and his win marks a rewarding milestone after years of participation.

Speaking about his plans, he shared that he intends to cash in the gold prize.

Another winner was Rajgopal Chandran, a 35-year-old Indian from Kerala has been residing in Sharjah for the past 13 years while his family remains back home.

He has been participating in Big Ticket for the last nine years as part of a group of 25 people, consistently taking part in the draw every month. This marks his first win after nearly a decade of trying his luck. Talking about the moment he won, Rajgopal shared, “I was very happy and excited when I heard the news.”

The fifth winner in the draw was Mohammed Shakil, is a 53-year-old from Bihar, India. He has been working as a salesman in Abu Dhabi for the past 23 years, while his family remains back home in India.

Shakil began participating in Big Ticket 7 years ago as part of a group of 10 friends. Together, they purchase tickets every month, selecting their numbers at random.

Six millionaires

A grand prize of Dh25 million will be announced in the monthly Big Ticket live draw on May 3. On the same night, five winners will each receive Dh1 million in consolation prizes, bringing the total number of guaranteed millionaires this month to six.

Lets look at the dates of the upcoming weekly Big Ticket e-draws:

Week 2: Purchase from April 9 to 15 - E‑draw on April 16 (Thursday)

Week 3: Purchase from April 16 to 22 - E‑draw on April 23 (Thursday)

Week 4: Purchase from April 23 to 30 - E‑draw on May 1 (Friday)