An Indian worker in the UAE has raked in an astonishing GBP 4.38 million playing the local lottery.
The amazed winner, named only as Sreeju, 39, works in Fujairah as a control room operator in the Emirate’s oil and gas industry.
The dad of two twin six-year-olds said he was left “speechless” after realising he had won the Mahzooz Saturday Millions jackpot worth AED 20 million (GBP 4.38 million).
Sreeju, originally from the Indian state of Kerala, told local media: “I was in my car about to drive around when I checked my Mahzooz account, and I couldn’t believe my eyes.
“I was confused about what to do when I saw my winnings. I waited for that call from Mahzooz to confirm that my winning was true.”
He said the win left him “speechless, shocked and surprised.”
Sreeju said he now plans to use part of the win to buy a house for his family in India.
Suzan Kazzi, Head of Communications and CSR of Mahzooz Saturday Millions, said: “To date, our weekly draws have created 64 millionaires, and distributed close to half a billion dirhams to more than 1,107,000 winners, adding an incredibly positive spin to their stories of victory.”
Kerela is reckoned to have more than two million people working in the Gulf states sending money back home.
Despite its thriving businesses, the state is still home to nearly 50,000 households living in slum conditions, say experts.
