DSF Mega Raffles Change Lives of Shoppers

Dubai Shopping Festival will be kicking off its 21^st edition on the 1^st January, and with it will come the chance for shoppers from all over the world to win life changing prizes from the festival’s Mega Raffles – the Infiniti Mega Raffle, the Nissan Grand Raffle, the Gold & Jewellery Raffle -  and many other rewards from various promotions run across Dubai’s numerous malls.

This year too, DSF organisers, the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM),  is working closely with retailers and partners to provide shoppers from around the world the opportunity to win mega prizes in the form of luxury cars, gold and cash.

The DFRE Media Centre contacted previous prize winners from Dubai Shopping Festival 2015 to find out how their lives had changed for the better thanks to the great rewards that are given away during DSF.

Rose Vino, from the Philippines said: “When I found out that I had won the AED350,000 during DSF 2015 I was in shock. It was a very normal day and my family and I were at Al Ghurair Centre shopping for an upcoming holiday to the Philippines, and then I received a call saying that we had won. The money gave us the opportunity to buy a new car as well as pay off loans. It was a fantastic surprise that has really changed our lives”.

Anil Kumar, from India, said: “I have been taking part in the Dubai Shopping Festival raffle for 15 years and DSF 2015 was the first time I won anything – but when I did win it was an amazing feeling. I still remember the ticket which I bought from an EPPCO Petrol station and then not long after placing it in the raffle box I received a call whilst sitting with family at home. It was an amazing feeling knowing that my life had changed with just the purchase of one ticket. I initially used the money to take my family back home to Kerala to visit my parents but the majority of it I have managed to save so that I can afford to give my son a great education, which is really important to me.”

John Varghese’s daughter also won during the DSF 2015 raffle, and he said: “The money was a great surprise and really changed the lives of my two daughters. We have been in Dubai for 24 years and have been shopping during the Dubai Shopping Festival every year. It was a really great experience to find out we had won. As a family we decided to put the money towards making sure my daughters could have amazing weddings. In fact they are set to get married in just a few months’ time.”

Ibrahim Ahmed Alnaeemi, a businessman, said: “I am used to buying coupons for cars throughout DSF over the past years. I used to buy around 10 coupons per year. I was not lucky for all these years but DSF 2015 changed that around. After buying my first coupon, I won a Nissan car and cash the very next day, which made me extremely happy. These rewards play a big role in creating a very happy atmosphere during DSF and I will continue to try and win again during 2016 as it is a very exciting time.”

Saeed Salem Alshamsi, who works at the Electricity Authority in Sharjah, said: “I have consistently bought phone credit that is eligible for winning over the past editions of DSF. Last year, I asked my wife to buy her AED 30 Du Credit and indeed I did one evening only to be surprised by a phone call the next day telling me I had won a Nissan Murano. I gave her the car and she is currently using it.

“2015 was actually my lucky year and I won 3 different prizes. One of them was a prize to reclaim 25% on one of the cars I bought the other was from a gold and jewellery competition and the last one was of course the Murano. Everyone loves to win and I am thankful to God for letting me experience that feeling more than once and from DSF in particular. I also bought a raffle ticket for a friend of mine in 2000 and he was lucky enough to win a Carens car. This edition I will continue to buy raffle tickets in hopes of striking luck once more!”