The UAE got the ball rolling on Saturday night for its inaugural national lottery draw with nearly 30,000 residents sharing about Dh3.5 million in prize money.
However, dreams of scooping the life-changing Dh100 million jackpot were put on hold – at least until the next draw on December 28 – as no player managed to pick out the seven winning numbers.
The Dh1 million second prize, for selecting six numbers, also went unclaimed during the landmark event, which was broadcast live on the YouTube channel of lottery operator, Game LLC.
As of midday on Sunday, the screening had received more than 36,000 views. The Lucky Day lottery draw was broadcast in both Arabic and English from a studio by presenters Diala Makki and Chadi Khalaf.
The winning balls were drawn at random from two lottery machines, one of which was used to select the six 'day' numbers and another to pick out the 'month' number.
How the game works
The Lucky Day lottery draw follows a calendar format, with players asked to select six numbers from a possible 31 from a 'day' section of the online draw card and one number from 12 in the 'month' section. Players must register on the official lottery website to participate. There are 43 numbers in total to pick from.
Lottery hopefuls can either choose their own numbers each game week or use the easy pick option on the website, which selects numbers at random. Draws will be held on a Saturday, every two weeks.
How many players struck it lucky?
Players who match all seven numbers – six from the 'day' section and the one number from the 'month' section are in line for the Dh100 million top prize. Should there be more than one winning ticket, the windfall will be shared equally.
A Dh1 million second prize is on offer for selecting all six 'day' numbers. In the milestone December 14 draw, no player had the good fortune to win either the Dh100 million top prize or the Dh1 million windfall.
Four players each won Dh100,000 after getting five 'day' numbers, plus the 'month' number. Another 211 players walked away with Dh1,000 for selecting either five 'day' numbers or four 'day' numbers and the 'month' number.
How to spend a fortune – in pictures
A total of 28,858 people earned Dh100 – doubling their money on the Dh50 ticket price – which is payable on selecting the 'month' number, even if you do not get any of the 'day' numbers.
The authorised lottery has been more than a year in the making and is the result of a major government drive to overhaul the UAE's commercial gaming sector. The General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority was established in September last year with the aim to shape a “world-leading regulatory framework for a national lottery and commercial gaming”.
Independent lottery operators were directed to pause their activities in January, with the GCGRA awarding a licence for the national lottery in July to Game LLC under the banner of UAE Lottery.
Will there be a rollover?
Some national lottery games around the world employ a rollover, in which the jackpot prize is carried over to the next drawing if there is no winner, meaning a Dh100 million prize would double to Dh200 million for the following draw, increasing by the jackpot amount in each subsequent drawing until there is a winner.
The UAE Lottery website, however, shows that the jackpot for the December 28 draw remains at Dh100 million, meaning that the jackpot prize resets for each individual drawing.
Who is eligible?
Participants must be residents within the UAE who are at least 18. Some independent prize draws had allowed players to enter if based overseas.
Do I need to register?
Players must register an account on the UAE Lottery website to be in be in with a chance of winning big. Users must provide their name, Emirates ID – to prove residence in the country – their date of birth, mobile number, email and create a password.
They will then be asked to verify their account by uploading or taking a picture of the front and back of their Emirates ID before being asked to take a 'selfie' – a picture of themselves – as part of tight security checks to ensure only eligible players take part.
What are the odds of winning?
As with any large lottery, the chances of winning the mega prize are slim but not impossible. The odds of matching all seven numbers for the Dh100 million jackpot are a daunting 8,835,372 to 1. Prospects increase as the cash prizes drop in value, with a one in 803,216 chance of securing the six balls needed for a cool Dh1 million. Winning the Dh100 prize is a mere one in 12 by comparison.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
What is type-1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is a genetic and unavoidable condition, rather than the lifestyle-related type 2 diabetes.
It occurs mostly in people under 40 and a result of the pancreas failing to produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugars.
Too much or too little blood sugar can result in an attack where sufferers lose consciousness in serious cases.
Being overweight or obese increases the chances of developing the more common type 2 diabetes.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
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Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
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Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
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EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
If you go…
Emirates launched a new daily service to Mexico City this week, flying via Barcelona from Dh3,995.
Emirati citizens are among 67 nationalities who do not require a visa to Mexico. Entry is granted on arrival for stays of up to 180 days.
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Mainz 0
RB Leipzig 5 (Werner 11', 48', 75', Poulsen 23', Sabitzer 36')
Man of the Match: Timo Werner (RB Leipzig)
Fitness problems in men's tennis
Andy Murray - hip
Novak Djokovic - elbow
Roger Federer - back
Stan Wawrinka - knee
Kei Nishikori - wrist
Marin Cilic - adductor
