Dubai resident and Lebanese native Abu Ali was the only winner of the second tier prize of AED 1,000,000 in the 10th live weekly draw ‘Mahzooz’ that took place last Saturday night at the Mahzooz UAE Studio.
A mathematics graduate who has spent most of his working life in the UAE, Abu Ali plans to use the winnings to secure his children’s future and donate the remainder of his winnings to charity.
“I was on the sofa watching Netflix when my phone beeped and I read ‘you won’. I had won AED 35 before so I wasn’t surprised, although I figured there was no harm in checking. I viewed my Winnings Balance, saw the number, and thought to myself, ‘am I reading this correctly?’” Abu Ali said. “The feeling at that moment is hard to describe, but once it sank in, I felt very blessed.”
Abu Ali first came across Mahzooz through social media and began playing in November last year, deciding to give it a chance. During the days following his win, he and his wife will discuss exactly how they will distribute the prize money but they already know where it will go.
“For sure, we already know that some part of this will go to a charity. When feeling grateful, you always want to share your good fortune with others,” Abu Ali continued. “We also know that we want to use it for our kids. We’re not exactly sure how just yet, but we know that this is for them and not us.”
Despite winning a life-changing sum, Abu Ali is a strong believer in never taking things for granted and says he will continue to approach everyday life the same way as before last Saturday’s draw.
“Shortly after finding out I’d become a millionaire I was back on my laptop sending emails and working,” he added. “It’s important to never take things for granted, so I’m behaving like this money has already been placed aside for the future.”