Kerala man wins 33 crore UAE jackpot. Lucky charm? Ticket with kids’ birth dates

Rajeev Arikkatt, an Indian immigrant residing in the UAE, won 15 million dirhams (approximately ₹33 crore) in the Big Ticket Abu Dhabi weekly draw.

His winning ticket, number 037130, was a freebie during raffle draw number 260, Khaleej Times reported. Rajeev Arikkatt has been participating in the Big Ticket draws for the past three years. He currently works at an architectural firm in Al Ain and lives in UAE with his wife and their two children. The winning ticket featured the birthdays of his children, he said.

Asked on what he intends to do with the money he has won, Rajeev Arikkatt said that he will divide the prize money equally with 19 others.

“I have been residing in Al Ain for more than 10 years. I have been purchasing tickets for the past 3 years. This is the first time I have won a lottery. This time, me and my wife selected tickets with numbers 7 and 13, which are the birth dates of our children. Two months ago, I missed Dh1 million by a whisker with the same combination, but this time I was fortunate,” he told Khaleej Times about the ticket that he bought.

The 40-year-old man from Kerala said, “I got a special offer from Big Ticket, whereas I got four tickets for free when I purchased two. While I have always been hoping to win, this time the expectations were high with six tickets in the draw.”

“I was speechless. I couldn’t describe the feelings in words. I recognised Richard’s voice, as I had been listening to it for years. I knew he called the winners, but I never imagined it was the first prize. It was a surprise. This is a life-changing moment, not just for me but for others in our group,” he added.