Dubai Expat Wins Flat In Shopping Draw, Flies Back From US Just For Prize Ceremony

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) When Dubai resident Inderjeet Kaur went shopping with her husband, winning a home was the last thing on her mind. A purchase of around Dh500 later turned into something she never expected, a studio apartment in Dubai.

In fact, Kaur did not even remember entering the draw.

Recommended For You

It was her husband, Gurcharanjit Singh, who had scanned the barcode and uploaded their shopping receipts after they returned home. So when Kaur received a call telling her that she had won an apartment, her first reaction was disbelief.

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.

“I was like, 'Oh, I don't think so,'” Kaur recalled. She immediately asked her husband whether he had uploaded any bills for the draw.

When he confirmed that he had, she began to wonder if the call could actually be genuine.“I said, 'Then it can't be a coincidence.' But I was still not believing it,” she said.

It was only the following day, when an official email arrived with details including the apartment number and a letter confirming the win, that it finally sank in.“I said, 'Oh my God, this is true.'”

A home she doesn't plan to sell

For Kaur, however, the win means more than simply receiving another property.

She has called Dubai home for around 35 years and already owns property in the emirate. She lives in one of her properties and rents out others. She plans to do the same with her newly won studio.

“I am definitely going to rent this because there is no point selling it. It is an asset,” she said.“Dubai is always growing.”

Her attachment to the city goes far beyond property and investment.“This is home. I want to live here. I want to die here,” said Kaur.“That much love I have for this country, for this place.”

'I never had to worry about my daughters'

One of the biggest reasons for that attachment for Kaur is the life Dubai provided for her family. She spoke particularly about raising her daughters in the emirate, saying they had access to education and career opportunities while growing up in an environment where she felt they were safe.

Her daughters are now in the United States. One of them is working as a rheumatologist, and the distance has changed one small part of Kaur's daily life - to check up on them. It was a worry she said she rarely experienced while they were growing up in Dubai.

“When they were here, I would never bother,” she said.“Imagine, for a mother, being able to sleep peacefully knowing that your daughters are in such a safe environment.”

Kaur said that sense of security was among the things for which she remained most thankful after more than three decades in the emirate.

Flew back for the winning moment

The couple were in the US when it was time for the prize ceremony. They flew back to Dubai, arriving on Friday night ahead of the Sunday event.

“We came to participate in the prize-winning ceremony,” Singh said, clarifying that the actual handover of the property would take place later as the formalities could take some time.

For the couple, making the trip was about being present for the moment and expressing their gratitude.“We wanted to come to Dubai to participate and to thank the Dubai government,” he said.

At the time of the interview on Sunday, the couple said they planned to fly back to the US by Tuesday or Wednesday.

What began as an ordinary shopping trip and an entry Kaur had almost forgotten about has now added another property to a city she says she never wants to leave.

ALSO READ

Dubai salesman wins 2-bedroom apartment after Dh964 shopping bill Filipina expat who won Dh5 million in UAE lottery says she used random numbers 4 expats from Kenya, India win Dh25,000 each in Big Ticket's weekly e-draw

MENAFN02092026000049011007ID1111611757