Winners of this week's Emirates Draw have said they will use the Dh77,000 windfall to help other people and take care of abandoned animals.
While many lottery winners would spend their good fortune on fancy clothes, expensive gadgets, and sun-kissed holidays, some of this week's winners of Dh77,777 in the draw have said they will support various causes.
Amirah William, 53, owner of Stray Dogs Centre Umm Al Quwain, said she would put her winnings into her charitable business, to provide for the pets that she and her team rescue across the UAE.
Ms William, from New Zealand, said she never expected to win in the draw.
“I applied for the draw online and I was completely shocked when I saw that I won," she said.
"I previously won small prizes here and there, but I never really expected to win this Dh77,777 amount.”
Helping a single father put children through university
The second winner in the Emirates Draw was Jacob Avis, 53, a widower and father of three daughters.
He couldn’t believe his luck when he received the email confirming his Dh77,777 win and initially thought it was a scam.
“I lost my wife to cancer four and a half years ago and now I’m doing whatever I can to support my three daughters as a single parent,” Mr Avis said.
“Words cannot express my joy and it will surely help cover part of the university cost for my children.”
Iranian Behrouz Parsaei Jam, 49, was the third winner.
A regular player of the Emirates Draw since its launch in 2021, the father of two said he had his eyes on the grand prize so his family can live comfortably without having to worry about money ever again.
“I was happy but it was not what I was expecting. I was hoping that I would win the Dh100 million grand prize,” Mr Jam said.
“Of course, I am grateful that I won, but I will keep trying until I will eventually win the ultimate prize.”
Emirates Draws are held every Sunday and live-streamed on YouTube and Facebook, with seven lucky participants each winning Dh77,777.
The Dh100 Million Grand Prize, the largest in the region, is still up for grabs to be claimed by a single person or group of people who match all seven numbers.
People can participate in the weekly draw by buying a Dh50 pencil that will support the planting of corals. After registering online, participants can select their seven-digit number or have the system choose a number randomly.
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Stuck in a job without a pay rise? Here's what to do
Chris Greaves, the managing director of Hays Gulf Region, says those without a pay rise for an extended period must start asking questions – both of themselves and their employer.
“First, are they happy with that or do they want more?” he says. “Job-seeking is a time-consuming, frustrating and long-winded affair so are they prepared to put themselves through that rigmarole? Before they consider that, they must ask their employer what is happening.”
Most employees bring up pay rise queries at their annual performance appraisal and find out what the company has in store for them from a career perspective.
Those with no formal appraisal system, Mr Greaves says, should ask HR or their line manager for an assessment.
“You want to find out how they value your contribution and where your job could go,” he says. “You’ve got to be brave enough to ask some questions and if you don’t like the answers then you have to develop a strategy or change jobs if you are prepared to go through the job-seeking process.”
For those that do reach the salary negotiation with their current employer, Mr Greaves says there is no point in asking for less than 5 per cent.
“However, this can only really have any chance of success if you can identify where you add value to the business (preferably you can put a monetary value on it), or you can point to a sustained contribution above the call of duty or to other achievements you think your employer will value.”
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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ACC 2019: The winners in full
Best Actress Maha Alemi, Sofia
Best Actor Mohamed Dhrif, Weldi
Best Screenplay Meryem Benm’Barek, Sofia
Best Documentary Of Fathers and Sons by Talal Derki
Best Film Yomeddine by Abu Bakr Shawky
Best Director Nadine Labaki, Capernaum
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm: Meydan Sprint – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (Turf) 1,000m
7.40pm: Curlin Stakes – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (D) 2,200m
8.15pm: UAE Oaks – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,900m
8.50pm: Zabeel Mile – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,600m
9.25pm: Balanchine – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m
10pm: Al Shindagha Sprint – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,200m
The specs
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder
Power: 220 and 280 horsepower
Torque: 350 and 360Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT
On sale: now
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 268hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: CVT auto
Fuel consumption: 9.5L/100km
On sale: now
Price: from Dh195,000
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
