Write Comment     |     E-Mail To a Friend     |     Facebook     |     Twitter     |     Print

Dubai: A 28-day-old baby from Kerala, in the UAE has won gold and a diamond jewels worth dirham 1, 40, 000 in a shopping festival.

Nithera Janardhanan won the prize money USD 39, 000 at a raffle in 20th Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) on Friday.

"We bought some gold to celebrate the 28th day after the birth of the newborn and then filled in three coupons in her name in the hope of winning something," said Anil Janardhanan, father of the lucky little winner Nithera.

"In Kerala we celebrate the 28th day after a baby is born and so I decided to purchase a chain and a bangle which cost around Dh 2, 000," he said.

"I received a call and I thought someone was playing a prank on me, so I handed the phone to my friend. Later that day, we figured out it was real, and they told me my daughter had won. We were so surprised, "Janardhanan was quoted as saying to the Gulf News.

The winners included two Indians and one Emirati national.

Binoy Varghese, an Indian logistics supervisor who won one carat solitaire ring, worth around Dh 1, 000 in DSF raffle said, "it finally worked, we finally won."

"I always tried, but I was never lucky enough to win. I was so surprised and in shock when I got a call telling me I had won, "said Varghese.

The 20th edition of Dubai Shopping Festival is organised by the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing and is being held under the theme, ’ A Journey of Celebrations ’.

Indian grocery worker in Dubai wins Dh500,000 raffle

50-year-old spent half his salary to buy three Infiniti mega raffle coupon

After trying for 15 years, 50-year-old Indian worker was rewarded with Dh500,000 at the grand Infinite draw.
 
V Tharuvai, who has been working in a grocery store in Bur Dubai, spent half his salary towards buying three raffle tickets for the big draw.
 
He has been investing in the raffle for last 15 years.
 
“In my heart, I always believed that I will win the grand prize of the Infiniti Mega Raffle someday. Dubai has turned the dreams of so many people into a reality and I was always hopeful that my life would also take a new direction in this city,” he said. 

Tharuvai, who earns Dh1,200 a month, set aside half of his salary towards the buying three tickets from the Fahidi Kiosk in Bur Dubai.
 
Speaking about what he plans to do with the prize, he said, “I would like to start my own small grocery in Bur Dubai and also build a house for myself, my wife and three kids, back home in Kerala.”
 
Dubai Shopping Festival’s Infiniti Mega Raffle allows residents and visitors the opportunity to win QX50 and QX60 Infiniti cars in addition to Dh100,000 in cash every day until February 1.
 
The Infiniti Mega Raffle tickets are on sale for Dh200 at some Enoc and Eppco petrol stations, Global Village, Gold Souk and certain main streets.
 
In celebration of the DSF 20th Anniversary, those participating in the Infiniti Mega Raffle will get a second chance to win with over Dh2 million in additional prizes in weekly raffle draws. At these DSF 20th Anniversary Special weekly draws, five shoppers will win cash prizes of Dh100,000 each.