UAE Lottery’s Dh30-million winner left India at 18, helped six sisters marry

Winning Dh30 million has opened a new chapter in Sunil Kumar Sadasivan‘s life. Long before he became the UAE Lottery’s second Grand Prize winner, the 52-year-old from Kerala had already spent much of his life putting others before himself.

At just 18, he left home with little more than hope and dedicated much of his younger years to helping his six sisters get married and settle down before thinking about his own future. “I left India at 18 with nothing but hope,” Sunil told Khaleej Times. “Most of my younger years were spent making sure my six sisters were married and settled.”

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Only after that chapter of his life did he begin building one of his own.

He got married in 2006 and moved to the UAE in search of better opportunities. He later returned to India and worked as a tile contractor, but financial difficulties forced him back to the UAE. For the past two years, he has been working as a maintenance technician. “I am grateful that the UAE gave me opportunities,” he said.

Life continued to test him and for 12 years, Sunil and his wife struggled to have a child. They went through several fertility treatments and spent much of their savings, refusing to give up hope.

“Without question, it was the toughest period of our lives,” he said. “But it also taught me never to stop believing, no matter how long the wait. When our daughter finally arrived, she brought so much happiness into our lives.”

Throughout those difficult years, he says one person stood beside him through every challenge. “My wife never let go of hope. She has always been the one I turn to before making any decision. We have faced everything together.”

Then came a Wednesday night that changed everything. After buying a UAE Lottery ticket using the birthdays of his daughter, wife and himself, Sunil checked the results after work expecting, at best, a small prize. Instead, he had become the second winner of the Dh30 million Grand Prize.

Even now, he said that the money is not what matters most. “For years, being present for the small, ordinary moments with my daughter and wife felt out of reach because I was always working far away from home,” he said. “I never said that out loud because it felt impossible.”

He mentioned that the jackpot has given him something he values far more than wealth, “That is time for me.”

He plans to complete his family home, spend more time with his wife and daughter, and help people who are less fortunate.

“I have always had it in my heart to help underprivileged children and people in need,” he said. “Whether that’s through a small business I hope to start once I’m back home, or simply by giving back in ways I never could before.”

Looking ahead, Sunil hopes people will remember him not because he won Dh30 million, but because of what he chose to do with it.

“My plan right now is simple. Go home, be with my family, and figure out what comes next. I want people to look back and see my finished home, my daughter getting a good education, and maybe a few families with roofs over their heads.”