An Indian driver in Dubai has hit a jackpot by winning a whopping 12 million dirham in a raffle draw in Abu Dhabi, the latest addition to the long list of lucky winners from India.

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John Varughese has been working as a driver for a private company since 2016 in India. His visit to Dubai fetched him a jackpot as he won a huge amount at the Big Ticket raffle held the Abu Dhabi International Airport.

"I couldn't believe that I could get lucky. April Fool's Day had just passed by and I thought it was some friend pulling my leg. I also had doubts if this was a fake call," Varughese said.

"Even though it was confirmed but I still took a while before calling my family back in Kerala. This is surreal and the new feeling of being a winner is slowly sinking in," he told the 'Khaleej Times'.

Varughese said he intended to share the prize money with four of his friends, but first wants to switch from a basic phone to a smartphone.

"I have a small family with wife and two children. I will now invest in their future. There is no better way to make use of this money than to invest in education," he said.

"I will set aside a portion to help the needy too as I shouldn't forget my past days," Varughese added.

Earlier in January, another Keralite in the UAE had won a 12 million dirham in the biggest-ever raffle prize money in Abu Dhabi.

Eight Indians were among the 10 people who had won 1 million dirham each in a mega raffle draw in Abu Dhabi in October last year.

In August, an Indian man had won 5 million dirham in the draw in the UAE.