Indian driver in UAE wins lottery worth Rs 33 crore

PTI, Dec 25, 2022, 9:50 AM IST

Image: Screengrab Twitter Video/@emiratesdraw

An Indian driver in the UAE has won Dirhams 15 million (Rs 33 crore) as the grand prize in a weekly lottery.

Ajay Ogula, 31, who has been working for a jewellery establishment, hit the jackpot after he purchased two tickets for his first-ever participation with Emirates Draw EASY6.

Currently working as a driver at a jewellery firm, Ogula came to the UAE four years from his village in southern India.

“During a random conversation with my boss, I mentioned reading about someone winning a handsome amount with Emirates Draw, to which my boss advised that ‘you keep wasting money here and there, so why not use it instead on an opportunity like this’,” he was quoted as saying by the Gulf News.

Following his employer’s advice, Ogula installed the Emirates Draw mobile app and purchased two lottery tickets, it said.

As the eldest child, he felt obligated to support his family, including an ageing mother and two younger siblings who reside in an old, rented house.

“I was out with my friend when I received the congratulatory email. I thought, perhaps it’s a smaller winning amount, but when I started reading, the zeroes kept adding up, and I practically lost my mind when I learned the final figure,” he said.

Ogula plans to invite his family members to Dubai and then build a house for them in their village and also start a construction company to become self-sufficient, the report said.

“Congratulations to our Grand Prize winner, Ajay Ogula, on his epic win. Emirates Draw is not just about numbers and winners; it is about making a difference in people’s lives and has been the goal from day one and will remain at the heart of all we do,” said Mohammad Behroozian Alawadhi, Managing Partner, Emirates Draw.

“Our entire team is ecstatic for Ajay Ogula, and we are confident that this win will positively change his life and all the people around him,” he said.