UAE worker wins car at Eid event; ‘big key’ opens door to new home

When Nepali national Mukesh Paswan arrived in Dubai five months ago, he was hoping to earn some more money for the better future of his three children. On Saturday, he participated in the government-organised Eid programme and walked away the winner of a brand new Mitsubishi car.

“When they called my name, I couldn’t believe it,” he told Khaleej Times. “I had attended the event on both Friday and Saturday. I got the free raffle ticket along with a T-shirt and cap on Friday evening. Throughout the two days, I had seen others winning phones, TVs and air tickets but never imagined that I would win the grand prize.”

He said he is still pinching himself to see if he had really won. “When I woke up on Sunday morning, I wondered if it was a dream,” he said. “But then I saw the big key. I called up my wife and conveyed the news. She was very happy.”

The Eid event, held at Jebel Ali, where Mukesh participated, was part of the the activities organised by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (Mohre) at 10 locations across the UAE.

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Held under the slogan ‘Eid with Our Workers: Joy and Happiness’, the celebrations included dance, music and other entertainment options, and were held at workers’ compounds. 

Build a dream house

Mukesh worked in Qatar for seven years before arriving in Dubai, looking for better opportunities; he now works as a steel fixer in Al Sahel Contracting Company. With this windfall, he hopes to realise his dream of building a house in his hometown.

“I have had land for a long time but never the funds for building a home,” he said. “My family is living in a rented house. With the money I will get for this car, I am hoping to build a house. I also want to save something for the future of my children.” Mukesh has a 14-year-old daughter, and two sons aged 8 and 5.

Mukesh said that he attended the programmes organised by Mohre on both Eid Al Adha and Eid Al Fitr. “Last Eid was my first time to experience this event, and I really enjoyed it,” he said. “But I didn’t know that raffle tickets were handed out. I only realised later when the winners were called out. So this time, even before I arrived, I knew I wanted to get my hands on the coupon.”

Last Eid, a 24-year-old Bangladeshi painter Rubel Ali won the car and was overjoyed with his stroke of luck. He had also hoped to build a home with the money he won.

He added that he and his friends enjoyed the various offerings. “The programme was held over two days; each day for more than two hours, there were many entertainment activities,” he said. “My friends and I really enjoyed it. It was a great way for us to spend our Eid holidays. It was also very nice to see many people winning amazing prizes. It was a completely festive mood.”