An Indian citizen living in Sharjah, who has spent more than three decades in the UAE, received an unexpected gift just five days before his 60th birthday after winning Dh5 million in the UAE Lottery.

Kishore Pandurang Rao, who first arrived in the UAE in 1993, won the second prize of Dh5 million in the Lucky Day draw on October 3.

He purchased his winning ticket for Dh50 through the UAE Lottery platform and used the Easy Pick option, which randomly selects ticket numbers.

Rao matched all six numbers in the Days category to claim the Dh5 million prize.

The unexpected win has given him the opportunity to fulfil long-held dreams, including applying for a UAE Golden Visa, bringing his family together and travelling around the world with his wife.

Dream of obtaining a UAE Golden Visa

Rao, who has lived in the UAE for more than 30 years, says obtaining a Golden Visa has always been one of his personal dreams.

He said: “I always hoped that one day I would receive a Golden Visa. I kept telling myself it would eventually happen. Now I have the opportunity to apply for one, and I would really like to do so. I always told my friends that I would apply for it one day.”

During his years in the UAE, Rao has lived in Dubai, Ajman, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.

He now hopes the prize will open up new opportunities while allowing him to continue living in the country he has called home for several decades.

Travelling the world with his wife

Despite winning the Dh5 million prize, Rao did not immediately share the news with his family.

He initially kept it to himself before telling his wife about the unexpected development, much to her delight.

For now, the couple have decided to share the news of their win with only a small circle of close relatives, giving themselves time to consider this major change in their lives.

One of Rao’s main priorities is to reunite his family in the UAE after its members spent long periods living apart.

Asked whom he most wanted to share the moment with, he said: “My wife, especially. We have stood by each other through all of life’s ups and downs. Now that this opportunity has come along, I must share this happiness with her and my children.”

In addition to reuniting his family, Rao hopes to fulfil another long-held dream: travelling to countries around the world with his wife.

He said: “My goal is to travel around the world. I want to see these places with my wife because she also loves travelling.”

Despite the greater financial freedom the prize has given him, Rao says he is in no rush to decide on his future plans and wants to carefully consider how best to use the prize money for his family’s well-being.

Focus on Spending Limits and Responsible Lottery Participation

As Rao celebrates his prize win and approaching 60th birthday, he has also stressed the importance of setting personal spending limits when entering lottery draws.

“Everyone should know their own limits and decide how much they can afford to spend on lottery entries,” he said.

UAE Lottery officials also said they remain committed to responsible participation in games of chance and aim to provide participants with a safe, transparent and regulated environment.

The UAE Lottery operates under the supervision of the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA), which is responsible for regulating and overseeing commercial gaming activities in the UAE.