Hardworking Bangladeshi Greengrocer Wins Luxury Two-Bedroom Apartment in Dubai Summer Surprises Draw

Mohammad Salman Masud spends up to 12 hours a day selling fruit and vegetables at a Waterfront Market stall in Deira, sharing an apartment with colleagues and sending money home to his family in Bangladesh. Last week, in a life-changing phone call, he was told he now owns a two-bedroom apartment in Dubai.

Mr Masud's win came in the 'Win Your Home in Dubai' promotion, which ran throughout the summer as part of Dubai Summer Surprises until August 30. Shoppers who spent a minimum of Dh500 ($136) at participating retail outlets, malls, or brand stores were entered into a draw for apartments as well as additional prizes.

“I never won anything in my life, not even a pen,” Mr Masud, 28, told The National. “Now, I am a homeowner in Dubai. It's still difficult for me to grasp it.”

Mr Masud went on a shopping spree at Union Co-op supermarket on May 27, bulk-buying goods such as rice, sugar, flour and oil, and spent more than Dh900. “I came to know about the promotion through the Union Co-op app and wanted to try my luck,” he said. “But after shopping, I didn't know how to enter the draw, although I had the app. I had to ask a customer service staff member to help register on my behalf.”

He was busy at work when he received a call informing him of his big win. “I assumed it was a scam. I asked again to understand what they meant. But only when officials from Dubai Chambers and DSS reiterated and gave details, I realised it was for real.”

Mr Masud said he did not know how to react and found it hard to express his emotions at the time. “I work 10-12 hours a day to earn a living and provide for my parents and siblings back home,” he told The National. “I don't often get a call to say I have won an apartment! I have never even played a raffle in my life,” he said with a chuckle.

“Everyone dreams of owning a home in Dubai and today, after being in the UAE for eight years, Dubai has fulfilled that dream for me. The first person I called was my mother.” He said his father spent 30 years working in the UAE before returning to Bangladesh, making Mr Masud the family's only breadwinner.

“Honestly, I haven't made any plans for the apartment yet,” he said after touring the show unit at Al Jaddaf, which is developed by Binghatti Developers. His two-bedroom apartment was the top prize of the season, selected among 12 apartments given away across 12 draws to shoppers from nine countries, including ten winners living in Dubai, one in Abu Dhabi, and a tourist from Kazakhstan.

Other fortunate winners included Aditi, an Indian expat shopping at Damas Jewellery at LuLu Hypermarket, Barsha; British expat Grace Agnew, who bought shoes at Clarks in Dubai Festival City Mall; Lebanese citizen Samer Hijazi; long-time Dubai resident Stacey Bukhantseva; and Filipina expat Ethel Metry, who has lived in Dubai for nearly 20 years.