A Mahzooz's host announces the names of the winners during a live show.

The 45th weekly live Mahzooz draw has transformed the lives of nine lucky winners who shared the Dhs1 million second prize. All nine participants matched five out of the six winning numbers (7, 15, 18, 20, 22, 40) and bagged Dhs111,111 each.

For Indian expat Venkatesan, who works as a supervisor in a facilities management company, the prize money is a means to buy a car for his family back home. “Having a vehicle would improve the quality of my family’s life so much,” says the 36-year-old Dubai resident.

British national Steven and his family also have their sights set on a new car. “Besides that, I will also use this money to help my wife’s family in the Philippines buy land and build their dream house,” adds the 48-year-old Dubai-based manager.

Indian nationals David and Varghese are both elated that their winnings will help them pay for newly purchased homes.

For 30-year-old Varghese, the winnings have ensured debt-free homeownership: “I have always dreamt of owning a house without a loan. Mahzooz has made that dream come for me at such a young age."

As for David, a 50-year-old regional sales manager, his Mahzooz winnings will be channelled towards payments on his recently purchased flat in Abu Dhabi, followed by donations to charities.

Filipino national Carlo received the celebratory news of his win while he was celebrating his nephew’s birthday.

“When my wife and I saw my Winnings Balance on the Mahzooz app, she broke down in tears of joy and gratitude. This sum will go such a long way in securing our children’s education and pay off loans,” says the 35-year-old civil engineer.

Carlo’s compatriot Leonilo also has similar plans chalked out for his winning amount. The 46-year-old IT technician and father of two says: “This amount is a big help, especially at a time like the pandemic when everyone is struggling."

35-year-old Lebanese expat Omar, who works in the banking sector, is still surprised by his win. “It was so unexpected; I still haven’t been able to decide on what to do with the prize money. I am very happy and grateful for Mahzooz."

Although they come from different parts of the world, Syrian national Aktham and Swede Bengt are similar in the altruistic intentions they have for their prize money.

Akhtham, a 39-year-old Syrian advertising professional says: “After I use this money to further my career by enrolling in courses in directing, I want to help my brother get married."

Swedish expat Bengt, a 62-year-old head of mechanical maintenance in Abu Dhabi, will use his winnings to help his wife’s family in Thailand.