Dubai: Emirati Hazza Slayem Alderei is now richer by Dh1 million after winning the grand prize in Al Ansari Exchange’s summer promotion draw, which was held on Tuesday.
Alderei, who qualified to join the draw after making a remittance of Dh300 from the Al Ansari Exchange branch located on Khalifa Street in Abu Dhabi, is the eighth millionaire of the company’s annual promotions.
In January this year, Nina Elmina Sanchez from the Philippines had won Dh1 million in the Winter 2020 draw. Prior to that, in 2019, Bangladeshi expatriate Abdullah Al Arafat Mohammed Mohsin had won the Dh1 million jackpot, while compatriots Al Dizon Banzil and Gina Realuyo Soriano registered back-to-back wins for Filipinos in 2017 and 2018, respectively.
‘Did I exchange a fake dollar?’
“Actually, I thought it (winning Dh1m) was just a prank and I was not even able to answer the first call from Al Ansari at around 1pm on Tuesday,” Sanchez told Gulf News, adding: “I was at the company accommodation and a colleague (hotel concierge) told me that a staff from Al Ansari called and was looking for me. I had no idea why the first thing that came into my mind was: ‘Did I exchange a fake dollar?’
“Al Ansari staff called me back and the guy on the other end slowly and gently explained to me that I just won a whopping Dh1m. I was totally overwhelmed and the good news did not sink in immediately. I was also not aware that the draw was on that day and I did not check it on social media,” she added.