For the past five months, Abdalla Ali Gharib has been playing the UAE Lottery twice weekly, investing up to Dh100 each time. In June, the UAE national hit the jackpot, winning Dh100,000.
Upon discovering his win, he admitted, “Honestly, it took a moment to sink in,” during an interview with Khaleej Times. “Initially, it seemed unreal. But after verifying the numbers multiple times, I realized it was true.”
Abdalla vividly remembers the moment he found out. “I was checking the draw results online, and the first word I saw was ‘Congratulations’,” he recounted. “I couldn’t believe it. Then I saw Dh100,000 and double-checked the numbers. Everything matched except one. I was ecstatic.”
Stay informed with the latest updates. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
The UAE Lottery, launched in December last year under strict regulations by the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA), offers a massive Dh100-million jackpot bi-weekly, along with prizes ranging from Dh100 to Dh100 million, depending on matched numbers.
First person to call
In his forties, Abdalla shared his windfall first with his closest friend.
“He holds a special place in my heart and shares in my happiness,” Abdalla said. “He immediately congratulated me and said I deserved it.”
The lucky win came from one of three tickets he purchased. Each ticket had a unique selection strategy. “One was a quick pick with random numbers,” he explained. “The second had numbers representing my family, and for the last, I chose numbers based on the date and time I saw when I first glanced at my phone.” This approach proved successful.
With his winnings, Abdalla plans to upgrade his car and continue playing. “I’ll sell my current car and buy a better model,” he stated. “I’ve been playing twice a week for nearly five months, spending Dh50 or Dh100 each time. I’ll definitely keep playing, hoping next time all my numbers match.”
Matching all numbers secures the Dh100 million jackpot. Per the company’s website, the odds of winning the jackpot are about 1 in 8.8 million. While no one has claimed the grand prize yet, Bishop Woosley, director of Lottery Operations at The Game, which oversees the UAE Lottery, reassured Khaleej Times that someone will “definitely” win the jackpot, “without a doubt.”
This year, the company also introduced several smaller, quick-win games to maintain engagement with UAE residents. Last month, it launched four new scratchcards, offering players a chance to win up to Dh1 million on the game’s website.
