In a life-changing turn of events, a long-time expatriate taxi driver has won the staggering grand prize of Dhs20 million in the latest Abu Dhabi Big Ticket raffle draw.
Harun Sarder Nur Nobi Sarder, a 44-year-old Bangladeshi private taxi driver based in Sharjah, was named the lucky winner of the Big Ticket Series 279 draw. Harun, who has lived and worked in the UAE since 2009, won with ticket number 035350, which he had purchased on September 14.
When contacted live by the draw hosts, Harun was reportedly speechless, only managing to repeat “Ok, ok.” His incredible fortune is the result of over 15 years of regularly purchasing Big Ticket entries while sending money back home to his family in Bangladesh.
Harun will not be celebrating alone. He confirmed that he will be sharing the Dh20 million prize with a group of 10 friends who jointly bought the ticket with him—a common practice among expatriate communities to increase their odds of winning.
The same draw saw other expatriates claim major prizes:
- Four participants won Dh50,000 each.
- Another lucky winner, also a Bangladeshi expat from Sharjah, drove away with a Range Rover Velar dream car in the draw.
The news serves as an inspiration for the countless expatriates in the UAE who work tirelessly, holding onto the hope that a single lucky ticket can change their destiny. Harun, though still deciding how to use his newfound wealth, encourages others to “never give up on their dreams.”
