DUBAI: A British expat living in the UAE has become the youngest person to win the weekly Mahzooz lottery at the age of 26 with a whopping $2.7million.
Reece, who moved to Dubai four years ago and works as a gym manager in the Emirate, won the top prize just days before marrying his girlfriend in a private ceremony.
The Mahzooz competition requires entrants to buy a bottle of water, they then register for the weekly draw.
The UK national said he had been participating in the weekly draw for two years and had previously won $272. However, he had never expected to win the grand prize.
“I checked my ticket and I saw that all the numbers were all in yellow. And I just froze for a minute,” Reece told Arab News.
“I probably sat there for about a minute just not moving and not saying anything. I can’t really remember what was going through my head. I saw my whole life just change incredibly.”
The 26-year-old said he has no set plans for how he would be spending his money but would be enlisting the guidance of a financial advisor to help him manage the large sum. Reece also said he would also use some of the prize money to help his parents and family members.
“Because it is an incredible amount of money, it is going to take me a little time to decide what I want to do with it. But I need to be smart and ensure the longevity of it and hopefully set me up for life with my wife,” he said.
For now, Reece said he has no plans to quit his job as a gym manager.
