Filipino nurse in UAE to support family back home after winning Dh77,777 in Emirates Draw

Emirati diplomat and a South African business owner also among the lucky ones

Three lucky people won Dh77,777 this week. Image: Emirates Draw

Three people in the UAE kicked off their Eid celebrations with a bang after they scooped Dh77,777 each in the weekly Emirates Draw last Sunday.

Among the lucky winners was an Emirati diplomat, a Filipino nurse, and a South African business owner, Emirates Draw said on Friday.

Filipino nurse Yasser Fuentes said he has not stopped smiling since landing the cash prize.

The 33-year-old Dubai resident started participating regularly in the draw only three weeks ago and said he plans to use the winnings to help support his family back home.

“I still can’t believe that I won because I’ve never won a raffle before," he said.

Lady luck was also on Hassan Al Suwaidi’s side. Mr Al Suwaidi entered the raffle just minutes before submissions closed for the Eid draw.

“I’m still in shock," said Mr Al Suwaidi, 24, who works as a diplomat in Abu Dhabi but is from Dubai. "I’ve replayed the video of the live stream at least five times and read the congratulatory email 15 times so far.

“I had previously won Dh77 but I didn’t expect to win Dh77,777, especially on the evening of Eid," he said.

“My family and friends were very excited when I told them that I had won. My mother said that I was always lucky as a child when participating in raffles and this is proof that I’ve still got it.”

He said he would use his windfall to treat his parents.

Joining her fellow winners, South African business owner Meaza Kebere, 31, had won Dh777 in a previous draw and upgraded to more than 100 times that amount this time around.

Ms Kebere, who runs a cosmetics business with her husband, said she participates in the draw every week.

“We had won Dh777 before so when I checked my email after the draw, I saw that we had won again,” she said.

“I didn’t really think about it until I checked my dashboard and realised how much we had won.”

She said her husband was out walking when she found out the news.

“I kept telling him to come back home and that worried him but when I told him that I had won, he became so happy, and we haven’t stopped celebrating since.”

The couple plan to use their winnings to expand their business.

Emirates Draws are held every Sunday and are live streamed on YouTube and Facebook, with seven lucky participants each winning Dh77,777.

The grand prize remains at Dh100 million until a single person or a group of people match all seven numbers.

People can participate in the weekly draw by buying a Dh50 pencil that will support the planting of corals. After registering online, participants can select their seven-digit number or have the system choose a number randomly.

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