Dubai: Emirati Yusuf Ali Al Maadi; Indian nationals Christina A S and Irfan Khan; Filipino expats Ben Samuel and Imelda Duron welcomed 2021 with good fortune after winning 250g of gold each at the ongoing Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF).
Al Maadi said: “At first I thought it was a prank. It (winning) only started sinking in after we went and received the prize. I never imagined that after I dropped the coupon, I’d win! I have exchanged the gold for money and started a savings account.”
Christina A S, for her part, said: “It was such a relief to win this amazing prize at the end of an unpredictable year. I entered the raffle with my family and am so happy I was the one to win!”
Her compatriot, Khan, added: “This was the first time in my life I won something. Dubai is a very generous city that has always been hosting raffles and competitions, and after being here for three years I was in shock when I won. I’m overwhelmed with gratitude.”
Samuel, from the Philippines, said has already generously shared his blessings with family and friends. “I have spent almost half the money giving back to friends and family who lost their jobs because of the COVID-19 pandemic; and I bought so many things for people in need,” he added.
Duron also shared her winnings with her family back in the Philippines. She added 2021 really started on a happy note, noting: “Times have been very challenging for everyone and this made me feel that 2021 is my year!”
How they won
The Emirati and four Dubai residents won at Dubai Gold & Jewellery Group (DGJG) grand raffle, where winners each receive 250g of gold out of a total prize giveaway of 25kg.
The DGJG raffle is open to customers who purchase jewellery at any of the 180 participating DGJG outlets across Dubai, including in Deira Gold Souk, Meena Bazaar and shopping malls. Customers who spend AED500 on gold jewellery will receive one raffle coupon, while customers who purchase diamonds, pearls or watches worth Dh500 will receive two raffle coupons. Every other day during DSF, four winners will share 1kg of gold equally. On the final day of DSF, 3 kgs of gold will be shared equally among 12 winners as part of a mega prize draw.
More big prizes
Aside from winning gold, there are other raffles and giveaways to be won during DSF. One is the DSF Supercar Raffle, a Dh6 million W Motors Fenyr SuperSport car to be given away to one lucky winner.
There is also the Infiniti Mega Raffle, where winners can bring home an brand new Inifiniti QX60 car on top of Dh200,000 cash. One person will also win Dh500,000 on the final day of DSF. The Nissan Grand Raffle also give away brand-new Nissan cars during daily raffle draws.
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Also during DSF, the Dubai Shopping Malls Group (DSMG) is hosting a Spin & Win raffle to win cash prizes of up to Dh100,000 each week. Twenty-four lucky winners will be selected from a raffle draw to spin the wheel for a chance to win prizes ranging from Dh2,000 to Dh20,000. More information on raffle draws can be found on DSF social media channels and website.
