Indian Expat Shajeer Venga Wins Rs 5 Crore in Lucky Draw

Indian Expat Shajeer Venga Wins Rs 5 Crore Grand Prize in Sharjah Islamic Bank's Lucky Draw

In a stroke of extraordinary fortune, 34-year-old Shajeer Venga, an Indian expatriate based in Abu Dhabi, has won the Dh2 million (approximately Rs 5 crore) grand prize in Sharjah Islamic Bank's Millionaire campaign. Venga, who had opened a savings account through the SIB Digital App just weeks before, was selected as the winner during a draw held at the bank's main branch.

Having followed the campaign for years, Venga expressed his surprise at the unexpected win. He described the Dh2 million prize as a life-changing amount that would help him achieve significant personal goals, including reuniting his family in the UAE. "The Dh2 million prize will be life-changing," he said, adding that the funds would enable him to bring his family from India to live with him.

Venga credited the Millionaire campaign for making his long-held dream a reality. The draw also saw other winners, with Emirati customer Moza Butti taking home a BMW XM and 40 additional participants receiving cash prizes.

Nabil Abou Alwan, Head of Retail Banking at Sharjah Islamic Bank, highlighted the initiative's dual purpose of rewarding customers and fostering a culture of saving. Launched in 2005, the Millionaire campaign encourages customers to build savings through eligible deposit accounts. The programme offers over Dh20 million in prizes annually, including seasonal grand prizes of Dh2 million, quarterly prizes of Dh1 million, luxury vehicles, and numerous cash rewards distributed throughout the year.

For Venga, this unexpected windfall marks the beginning of a brighter future, underscoring the transformative potential of the bank's savings initiative.