Dubai: The dream of Indian expat Venkatesan, 42, to bring his family to the UAE will now come true, after he won Dh100,000 in the 64th Mahzooz weekly draw in Dubai.
The IT (information technology) professional from Abu Dhabi said he was both shocked and excited when he received the email detailing his windfall. “I counted the zeroes over and over just to be sure it was Dh100,000 and my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me,” he said.
Family holidays
The father-of-two will now be able to bring his children and wife to the UAE for a short stay. He said: “I’ve been trying to bring my family over for a visit for a really long time, but it was never feasible financially because of one reason or the another. Now thanks to Mahzooz, I can finally give my family the luxurious vacation they deserve and spend some quality time with them.”
‘For a better future’
Venkatesan also plans to save a portion of his winnings in fixed deposit for his children. “Securing my two kids’ future has always been my priority. Providing them a better future is one of the reasons why I choose to live away from them in the first place. It’s been a year since I last saw them,” he added.
Venkatesan will also use his prize money to clear his debts and achieve financial security. “This will allow me and my family to improve the quality of our lives and indulge in little joys, like a vacation, that were out of reach previously.”
Other winners
Two more winners won Dh100,000 each in the raffle draw, while 20 winners shared the second-tier prize of Dh1 million, after correctly getting four out of five of the winning numbers (17-21-30-35-36) in the grand draw
How to participate
The next Mahzooz live draw, with Dh10 million top prize, will be held on February 19 at 9pm (UAE time). Entrants can participate by registering on Mahzooz app and website, and purchasing a bottle of water for Dh35.
Corporate social responsibility
Meanwhile, Ewings, the managing operator of Mahzooz, recently celebrated the graduation of a group of blue-collar workers from the SmartReading English language programme, a four-month online class studying the basics of the English language. The programme sponsored by Ewings saw students develop their confidence to speak in English as well as understand instructions given to them in English at their workplaces, and hold effective conversations in simple English.
Farid Samji, CEO of Ewings, said: “We are proud to have been able to help ‘SmartLife’ conduct this promising programme that helps hard-working men and women achieve their goals and dreams and move up the career ladder. That’s what we’re about – helping people realise their dreams. And I commend the workers for investing their time and efforts in creating a brighter future for themselves and their families.”
