'Onam Bumper' comes early for expat Malayalis; four Indians win Big Ticket prizes

ABU DHABI: Malayalis often feature among the winners of major lottery draws in the Gulf. Continuing the trend, four Indian expatriates, including Malayalis, won prizes in the second weekly e-draw of the Abu Dhabi Big Ticket held in August. Each winner will receive 25,000 dirhams, worth more than Rs 6.5 lakh.

The winners are Manikandan Mohanan (39), Thomas Varghese (64), and Indian nationals Mohammed Zahir and Sajid Khan (56). Thomas Varghese, who has been working as a civil engineer in the UAE for the past 20 years, participated in the draw as part of a four-member group with his friends. He plans to send his share of the prize money back home. He also intends to keep part of the winnings as a bank deposit.

Mohammed Zahir won the prize with ticket number 290094275, which he purchased online. Sajid Khan, a businessman from Pune, has been trying his luck on his own for several years, but this is his first win in the Big Ticket draw. He plans to use the prize money to take his children on a good holiday.