A group of six friends had a windfall at the Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire and Finest Surprise draw, winning $1 million collectively. Namasivayam Hariharan, the 40-year-old Indian expatriate who purchased the winning ticket number 2890 from the Finest Surprise counter in Concourse B on October 12, led the group.
Hariharan, who has lived in Dubai for 26 years, shared the ticket’s cost with five friends. This group has routinely participated in the promotion for the past three years, each time alternating whose name appears on the ticket.
Expressing gratitude, Hariharan said, “Thank you Dubai Duty Free! We are blessed to have won this prize.” He is currently employed as a senior technician at Serco and has resided in Dubai for over two decades. Remarkably, Hariharan is the 218th Indian national to clinch the $1 million prize in the Millennium Millionaire promotion since its inception in 1999, with Indians being the major ticket purchasers.
The draw was officiated by senior personnel from Dubai Duty Free, including Executive Vice Chairman & CEO, Colm McLoughlin.
The event also featured the Finest Surprise draw for two luxury motorbikes. Jay Jhaveri, a 45-year-old Indian from Sharjah, bagged an Indian Scout (Black Metallic) motorbike with ticket number 0413. Jhaveri, who has participated in the promotion for five years, said, “Thank you so much, my dream to win something big has finally come.”
Another lucky winner, Premlal Gopinadhan, a 36-year-old Indian based in Oman, won a Harley-Davidson Sportster S (Bright Billiard Blue) motorbike with ticket number 0978. Despite being relatively new to the Dubai Duty Free promotions, having purchased only three tickets in two months, Gopinadhan was ecstatic, stating, “I just couldn’t believe it, but I’m so happy to have won this early.” Gopinadhan is employed at Al-Maha Petroleum and is a father of two.
