A 26-year-old Nepali security guard living in the UAE has struck it rich after winning a Dh30 million (approximately Rs 69 crore) jackpot in The UAE Lottery’s Lucky Day draw, becoming the first Grand Prize winner under the lottery’s current jackpot format.Tayab Khan, who moved from Nepal to the UAE four years ago in search of better opportunities, said he initially thought the email informing him of the win was another notification about a small prize.“I had received similar emails before for small prizes, so I didn’t think much of it. But when I opened the email and saw Dh30 million, my hands were shaking, my legs were shaking. It felt like a dream,” Khan said.The Abu Dhabi resident did not watch the live draw and only discovered his life-changing win after checking his email.What makes the story even more remarkable is that the winning ticket was purchased collectively by Khan and four close friends, who regularly pooled money to participate in the lottery.The jackpot amount would be split equally among the five, with each receiving Dh6 million.Khan said the group began buying tickets in early 2024 after he came across The UAE Lottery on Facebook.The friends contributed money together and took turns selecting numbers each week.“There are five of us in total. We pooled our money and bought tickets regularly. Each week, one person would take turns selecting the numbers,” he said.Their persistence was rewarded after several smaller wins over the months. The group had previously matched three or four numbers on multiple occasions, which encouraged them to continue playing.“There were times when it felt like it wasn’t going to happen, but we never lost hope,” Khan said.The first person Khan informed about the win was his uncle in Nepal, whom he credits for helping him move to the UAE and build a better life.“He’s the reason I came here in the first place. When I told him how much we had won, he was completely speechless, and tears rolled down his face,” Khan recalled.For the young expatriate, the jackpot represents more than wealth. His primary goal is to build a house for his family back home in Nepal.“My first goal was always to buy a good house for my family. Now I can build a proper house in a good location with everything a family needs,” he said.Khan also plans to invest the money and explore business opportunities after spending four years working as an employee.“I have worked as an employee for four years. Now I want to move to the next level. I want to explore entrepreneurship and investment,” he said.While much of the money will be directed toward long-term financial goals, Khan admitted he hopes to fulfil a couple of personal dreams as well, owning a Mahindra Thar and a Rolex watch.The windfall is expected to transform the lives of all five winners.“One of my friends has been away from his family for many years. Another has just got married, and one has just become a father. I am very happy for all of us,” Khan said.