Tayab Khan Wins UAE Lottery Grand Prize, Each Friend Takes Home AED 6 Million
Tayab Khan, a 26-year-old Nepalese security guard living in Abu Dhabi, has won The UAE Lottery’s AED 30 million Lucky Day Grand Prize. The jackpot will be shared equally among five friends who regularly pooled money to buy tickets. Each will receive AED 6 million. Khan plans to build a house for his family in Nepal and explore business and investment opportunities.
A 26-year-old Nepalese security guard living in Abu Dhabi has become the first winner of The UAE Lottery's AED 30 million Grand Prize under its current Lucky Day draw format. The lottery operator revealed on Monday that Tayab Khan, who moved to the UAE four years ago in search of better opportunities, will share the winnings equally with four close friends who regularly pooled their money to buy lottery tickets.
The win was announced following the Lucky Day draw held on April 27, the first day of Eid Al Adha. While Khan's identity was publicly revealed on June 2, additional details about the historic win were shared this week, highlighting how a group of friends who called themselves the "Future Millionaires" turned a long-held dream into reality. UAE Lottery Secures WLA Certification, Strengthens Responsible Gaming Framework.
Tayab Khan Wins AED 30 Million Lucky Day Grand Prize
From “FUTURE MILLIONAIRES” to “MILLIONAIRES.” ✅
Meet Tayab Khan from Nepal, the winner of the AED 30,000,000 Grand Prize! 🏆
Five friends. One ticket. AED 30,000,000. 🥳
The AED 30 million Grand Prize will be shared equally among the group, with each friend receiving AED 6… pic.twitter.com/rEKugRU2Oo
— The UAE Lottery (@theuaelottery) June 8, 2026
Tayab Khan Wins UAE Lottery Grand Prize: Historic Win for a Group of Friends
According to The UAE Lottery, the AED 30 million jackpot will be divided equally among five friends, with each receiving AED 6 million. The group had developed a routine of pooling funds and taking turns selecting numbers for lottery entries.
It was Khan's turn to choose the numbers for the winning draw. "I created the group and named it 'Future Millionaires'," he laughed. "After we won, I changed it to 'Millionaires'." The friends had been participating consistently since early 2024 and had previously won several smaller prizes by matching three or four numbers. Anilkumar Bolla, Indian From Kerala, Wins INR 240 Crore ‘The UAE Lottery’ in Abu Dhabi After Choosing Mother’s Birth Date for Luck.
“There are five of us in total. We pooled our money and bought tickets regularly,” he said. “Each week, one person would take turns selecting the numbers."
Khan was not watching when the winning numbers were announced during the Eid Al Adha draw. Instead, he learned about the jackpot through an email notification.
"I had received similar emails before for small prizes, so I didn't think much of it," he recalled. "But when I opened the email and saw AED 30 million, my hands were shaking, my legs were shaking. It felt like a dream. Even now, it's hard to express that feeling in words."
His first reaction, shared through The UAE Lottery, reflected the scale of the moment. "I'm feeling absolutely amazing, like I'm in the sky." Khan said he had discovered The UAE Lottery in 2024 while scrolling through Facebook and had always hoped he would one day become a winner. "I saw other people winning and always hoped that one day I could be a winner too," he said. "We kept participating, kept believing, and eventually that day came."
No Special Formula for Choosing Numbers
The winning numbers were selected randomly, according to Khan. "Sometimes I use family-related numbers, and sometimes I choose randomly," he said. "This time, I just selected random numbers and submitted the ticket."
Despite periods of uncertainty, the group continued participating. “There were times when it felt like it wasn't going to happen, but we never lost hope,” said Khan.
Family Reacts to the Life-Changing News
The first person Khan contacted after learning about the win was his uncle in Nepal, whom he credits for helping him move to the UAE. "He's the reason I came here in the first place," said Tayab. "When I told him how much we had won, he was completely speechless. Tears came to his eyes. He couldn't believe it."
“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 also shared the news with his partner, who has supported him since before he relocated to the UAE. "When I had nothing, she was there," he said.
Crediting her for standing by him through years of challenges, he added: "She saw my struggles, my hard work, everything." He said he eventually had to show her the winning ticket before she fully believed the news. "She was completely speechless."
Plans for the Future
For Khan, the lottery win represents an opportunity to support his family and pursue long-term goals. "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." The 26-year-old also plans to explore investment and 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." While much of the money will be directed toward future plans, Khan admitted there are a few personal purchases he has dreamed about. “I have been eyeing a Mahindra Thar Jeep and a Rolex watch,” he said.
Khan noted that the jackpot will positively impact all five members of the group, each facing different life circumstances. “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,” said Khan.
The win marks the second Grand Prize awarded in the history of The UAE Lottery's Lucky Day draw. It follows the AED 100 million jackpot won in October 2025 by Anilkumar Bolla, a 29-year-old Indian expatriate based in Abu Dhabi.
The draw format was revised in late 2025, reducing the top prize from AED 100 million to AED 30 million while increasing the frequency of draws to twice a week. For Khan and his four friends, the latest jackpot represents not only financial security but also the fulfillment of a shared ambition that began with a WhatsApp group named "Future Millionaires."
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 08, 2026 05:06 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
