Indian driver Ajay Ogula, who resides in Dubai, won a reward in the Emirates Draw valued Dh 15 million, or Rs 33 crore. Ogula, who is from a village in southern India, moved to the UAE four years ago in search of better opportunities. He is currently employed as a driver for a jewellery company and makes Dh 3,200 per month.

This was the first time Ogula bought the Emirates Draw ticket. After winning the prize, Ogula said, “I still cannot believe I hit the jackpot. I will continue building my charity trust with this amount. This will help many people get the basic needs in my hometown and neighbouring villages.”

He claimed that his mother and siblings in India did not believe him when he told them he had won the lottery and had become a millionaire. During an interview with Khaleej Times, Ogula said, “They will have to believe it now as I will be in the news.”

Ogula shared the story about his attempt. He said, “A friend of mine recently won Dh 7,777 in the Emirates Draw, and when he received the money in his account, I felt it was authentic.” After showing interest in the draw, his boss encouraged and guided him through the process.

Ogula plans to build a house for his family and start his own construction company with the winnings. Along with making his lofty aspirations come true, he swears to continue helping those in need.

Meanwhile, earlier in November, an Indian man working as a purchasing manager at Ikkayees restaurant in Dubai also won a lottery worth Rs 55 crore at the first outdoor Abu Dhabi Big Ticket Live Draw.

Sajesh NS, the man who won the jackpot, had been buying lottery tickets for the last four years. When asked about the use of the winnings, Sajesh replied that he would help out his colleagues at the hotel.