They say that opportunity never knocks twice at any man's door. Except in this case, it did. An Indian expat in Dubai has won the $1 million jackpot in a lottery for the second time in less than a decade.
Paul Jose Mavely, a 60-year-old Indian expat from Kerala, won the Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire draw for the second time. The official Instagram account of Dubai Duty Free announced him as the winner yesterday.
Lucky once again
According to a report in Khaleej Times, Mavely has been participating in the Dubai Duty Free draw since 1999. He and his friends pool in money to purchase the ticket. This time, he shared the cost of the ticket with his 17 friends.
{{/usCountry}}According to a report in Khaleej Times, Mavely has been participating in the Dubai Duty Free draw since 1999. He and his friends pool in money to purchase the ticket. This time, he shared the cost of the ticket with his 17 friends.
{{/usCountry}}Mavely purchased ticket number 3532 online on May 19. His name was announced as the winner in Series 503.
He had also won the Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire draw in 2016, when he split the prize money with nine other friends.
Who is Paul Jose Mavely?
Paul Jose Mavely, originally from India, has been living in Dubai for the last 38 years. He works as a site supervisor for a small contracting company, according to Khaleej Times.
I’m very thankful to Dubai Duty Free for this second win,” said Mavely, a father of two.
What is Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire?
The Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire is a lottery program launched in 1999, offering participants the chance to win US$1 million. Each draw is limited to 5,000 tickets, enhancing the odds for entrants.
Tickets cost AED 1,000 (approximately ₹22,700), excluding 5% VAT, and can be purchased either at Dubai International Airport's duty-free shops or online through the Dubai Duty Free website.
The draw is held twice a month, and it is open to all nationalities with no requirement to be present in Dubai at the time of the draw.
Since its inception, 251 Indians have won this lottery.