Lifestyle
Want to be a millionaire in the UAE? Punch the Big Ticket to a new life
Abu Dhabi’s Big Ticket lottery draw is the oldest, tried and still trusted, and hence ruling roost despite emerging competition, the hosts of the draw have said at an event in Dubai.
Still going with their first names, Richard and Bouchra, introduced four winners from different backgrounds and for different amounts in front of some media representatives at One Life Cafe on Wednesday in an effort to reach out to the masses.
Richard, left, and Bouchra host Abu Dhabi’s Big Ticket draw on the third of each month. Photos Red Havas ME
“We are the oldest one; we are the only one that never changed our format; we are transparent and we declare our prizes at the start of it and irrespective of how many tickets are sold we give away the prize – guaranteed – in full view of everyone; and there is no rollover,” says Richard. “We get a winner regardless of anything from the name picked out of the drum (of tickets) in front of you, all secured and audited for.”
Originally conducted by the Abu Dhabi Airport Company, the Big Ticket moved under the aegis of Abu Dhabi Duty Free, a similar branding as their counterparts in Dubai.
There is no denying the fact that the Big Ticket has had to evolve a bit going with competition with Mahzooz and Emirates Draw coming in with their own varying formats.
However, with varying amounts each month, Big Ticket has changed lives of thousands with many people clubbing together in the hope to punch the big ticket to fulfil their dreams. This year alone, Big Ticket awarded 60 cash prize winners, whose winnings equate to a total prize value of over AED110 million.
“We are indeed privileged to be life-changers for many and it is such a satisfying job,” says Bouchra. Both hosts had plenty of anecdotes to share of people’s reactions and disbelief. There have been instances when Big Ticket had to go out of the way and spread out messages in public for the winners to get in touch.
“In the rare occurrence that we don’t find the winner – it has happened for the lesser prizes only – we wait for six months before giving it to charity,” a marketing official explained without being named because he was not authorised to speak.
The experiences of the winners gathered separately vouched for the efforts of Big Ticket as they shared their initial feeling of numbness and reality sinking in late for couple of them.
There were inspiring stories of Leena Jalal, Jacob Roy, Shahid Mahmood, and Safwan Nizameddin, a passport holder of St Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean.
Congratulations to The Fantastic 15 Million Series 241 winners!
Visit https://t.co/NonDNCmHwQ for the complete list of winners.#BigTicketAbuDhabi #BigTicket pic.twitter.com/BBUeJUePmW— Big Ticket Abu Dhabi (@BigTicketAD) July 3, 2022
“They say that Big Ticket only favours only one or two nationalities, but I am testimony to the fact that it is for everyone. One should have the belief,” said Nizameddin, the oldest of the four but the latest grand prize winner.
Lives changed
Leena, an Indian expat currently residing in Abu Dhabi, shared that she bought the ticket only days prior to the draw with many of her colleagues and friends, and was the luckiest one whose name was chosen after months of trying. Leena seeks to make a difference, just like Big Ticket, and is currently in talks with local charities to donate a percentage of her winnings, while the remaining amount will go towards supporting her family back home.
Jacob, another Indian expat residing in Abu Dhabi since 1990, discussed his commitment to a group of 12 friends that have been pitching in to purchase Big Ticket raffles on a monthly basis, for five years. He won Dh300,000 representing a group of buyers. “I tell others, consider buying the ticket as a job. We are all here as expats to change our lives and BT can do that for us. I and few others also chip in with extra if we have to make up the necessary amount at times.”
Shahid Mahmood is a Dubai-based Pakistani employee working at a glass installation company. After five years of buying BT raffles every month, Shahid received the winning phone call that made his and his friend’s dreams come true with a Dh15m purse.
Four Big Ticket winners and the event emcee Lekha Menon in Dubai. From left: Ms Menon, Leena Jalal, Shahid Mahmood, Jacob Roy and Safwan Nizameddin shared their experiences
A longtime resident of Abu Dhabi, Nizameddin has been purchasing tickets every month for the past two years. When the call came, Safwan says his sixth sense kicked in and he instinctually knew he had finally won. The executive manager of a company specializing in power generation is a family man at heart. He plans to use his winnings to purchase properties for his three children as an investment in their future and some for charity.
On a side note, regular buyers of Big Ticket have been curious to know the logic behind different prize amounts each month. Having started at one million dirhams, the highest on offer has been Dh25m although it 10-20 is the common range. Initially, Richard said “the idea behind it is to give it fresh a look, I guess”, but when prodded further, he conceded he wasn’t sure and never checked with his employers.
Nonetheless, the prizes given out on the third of each month remain substantial and undoubtedly have changed many lives.
Food
Behind the UAE’s crackdown of food institutions: What it takes for a restaurant to get named, fined or closed
Very recently, the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) ordered the temporary administrative closure of Noble Catering Services in the Al Dhafra Region after identifying repeated food safety violations. The authority said it posed a risk to public health. The establishment was found to be in breach of laws concerning food, as well as related food safety regulations.
The closure is the latest in a growing series of enforcement actions taken against restaurants, catering companies and other food establishments across the UAE. In recent months, authorities have increasingly announced temporary closures, administrative fines and other penalties against businesses found to have committed serious or repeated food safety violations.
While such actions may give the impression that regulators are responding to a surge in unsafe food practices, the trend reflects something broader: A shift towards more transparent, risk-based inspections and stricter controls on a rapidly expanding hospitality sector.
Rather than signalling a widespread decline in food safety standards, officials say the public disclosure of enforcement actions is intended to protect residents, encourage compliance and strengthen confidence in the country’s food regulatory system.
The recent closures are not evidence of a sudden deterioration in food safety. Rather, they reflect a shift in how regulators enforce compliance and communicate risks to the public.
Naming and shaming
For years, restaurant inspections largely took place behind the scenes, with operators typically given opportunities to rectify shortcomings before facing stronger penalties. Today, however, authorities are increasingly making decisions public, naming businesses that fail to address repeated violations or are found to pose an immediate risk to public health. The change marks a new phase in the UAE’s food safety strategy, one where public accountability is becoming as important as regulatory compliance.
For example, in Abu Dhabi, ADAFSA took action against Amina Restaurant, citing serious food safety violations that threatened public health and repeated non-compliance despite previous warnings. Similarly, Index Restaurant in Mussafah Industrial Area was ordered to close after inspectors found repeated breaches of food safety regulations and determined that the establishment had failed to implement the corrective measures required following earlier inspections.
Beyond these individual cases, authorities have temporarily closed several cafeterias, cafés, butcheries and snack shops across Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.
The violations commonly cited include poor hygiene standards, unsafe food handling practices, improper storage of food at required temperatures and repeated failures to comply with food safety regulations despite receiving notices from inspectors.
A pattern, not isolated cases
Enforcement actions have recently affected a variety of businesses, from neighbourhood cafeterias and shawarma outlets to full-service restaurants and butcheries.
Authorities have cited establishments for violations including:
- Poor kitchen hygiene
- Pest infestations
- Improper food storage temperatures
- Cross-contamination between raw and cooked foods
- Expired or spoiled ingredients
- Failure to maintain cleaning records
- Employees not following food safety protocols
- Ignoring previous inspection notices
In many cases, authorities specifically stated that closures followed repeated violations and the failure to implement corrective measures after multiple inspections, rather than a single offence.
Is this a widespread crackdown?
In Abu Dhabi, yes. ADAFSA reported that:
- 69 food establishments were closed over 18 months.
- 55 closures occurred during 2025.
- 14 additional closures occurred during the first part of 2026.
- The authority also received more than 7,000 consumer complaints over that period, which helps guide inspections.
Closure is usually the last step
Food businesses generally move through several stages before being ordered to close.
The process typically includes:
- Routine inspection
- Identification of violations
- Warning or improvement notice
- Follow-up inspection
- Administrative fine
- Temporary closure if violations continue or public health is at immediate risk
Only where inspectors believe there is a direct threat to consumers can authorities immediately suspend operations.
Officials consistently emphasise that closures are designed to remove health risks—not to punish businesses.
Why now?
Several developments have converged.
1. Greater transparency
Perhaps the biggest change is that authorities are increasingly making enforcement public.
Instead of quietly issuing closure orders, agencies now publish the names of restaurants, photographs of premises and the reasons for action.
This serves several purposes:
- Informing consumers
- Encouraging industry-wide compliance
- Deterring repeat offenders
- Demonstrating regulatory accountability
The message is clear: food safety is becoming a matter of public record.
2. Post-pandemic food safety expectations
Covid-19 permanently changed expectations around hygiene.
Consumers today pay much closer attention to:
- Cleanliness
- Food handling
- Kitchen practices
- Employee hygiene
Governments have responded by strengthening inspection regimes and increasing monitoring of food establishments.
While today’s closures are not directly linked to COVID-19, the pandemic accelerated the emphasis on public health oversight.
3. Growing hospitality sector
The UAE’s restaurant market has expanded rapidly.
Every year, hundreds of new:
- Restaurants
- Cafes
- Cloud kitchens
- Bakeries
- Catering companies
enter the market.
More businesses inevitably mean:
- More inspections
- More complaints
- Greater variation in compliance standards
Regulators have therefore adopted more risk-based inspection systems.
4. Risk-based enforcement
Modern inspection programmes no longer inspect every business equally. Authorities instead prioritise establishments based on factors such as:
- Previous inspection history
- Number of customer complaints
- Type of food served
- Volume of customers
- Potential public health risk
Businesses with strong compliance records may be inspected less frequently, while repeat offenders receive closer scrutiny.
This allows inspectors to focus resources where risks are greatest.
Safety for diners
For diners, increased transparency provides greater confidence in the food system.
Public disclosure enables consumers to make informed choices while reassuring them that authorities are actively monitoring food businesses.
Importantly, officials stress that the overwhelming majority of licensed restaurants comply with food safety regulations. The establishments that are publicly named represent a relatively small proportion of the UAE’s extensive hospitality industry.
Authorities receive thousands of complaints every year from residents.
Common complaints include:
- Food poisoning
- Unclean premises
- Foreign objects in food
- Spoiled food
- Poor employee hygiene
Complaint data increasingly influences inspection priorities.
If multiple customers report similar issues about one establishment, inspectors may conduct unannounced visits.
Abu Dhabi leads public enforcement trend
Abu Dhabi has become the most visible example of this new approach.
The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) regularly publishes administrative closure decisions, explaining that the affected establishments posed risks to public health and had failed to correct violations despite repeated notices.
The authority has also introduced the Zadna Rating system, which provides consumers with a visible indication of a restaurant’s food safety performance, encouraging operators to compete on hygiene as well as food quality.
The Dubai approach
Dubai Municipality has long operated one of the region’s most sophisticated food inspection systems.
Rather than frequently announcing closures, Dubai has traditionally focused on:
- Regular inspections
- Food safety ratings
- Improvement notices
- Administrative penalties
Only significant violations or repeated failures generally become public.
The overall objective remains the same: prevention rather than punishment.
The recent closures should not be viewed simply as a crackdown on restaurants.
They represent the evolution of food regulation in a country positioning itself as a global tourism and hospitality destination. As the UAE attracts more international visitors, hosts major global events and expands its culinary sector, maintaining high food safety standards becomes both a public health necessity and an economic priority.
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