Bangladeshi Dubai resident Mohammad Salman Masood wins the grand prize of a two-bedroom apartment following a AED 964 grocery purchase at Union Coop
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 10 September 2026: Mohammad Salman Masood has been named the grand winner of the citywide ‘Win Your Home in Dubai’ initiative, taking home a brand-new two-bedroom apartment as the initiative concluded with its final draw at Dubai Festival City Mall.
His winning entry came from a grocery purchase of approximately AED 964 at Union Coop in May. What began as a routine grocery shop for the household he shares with 12 others ultimately secured him a home in the city where he has lived and worked for eight years.
“I feel very lucky to have won. I was at work when I received the news, and at first I didn’t understand what was happening. I thought it might be a scam, so I asked for more details to make sure it was real. When I realised that I had actually won a home in Dubai, I was so happy! The first person I told was my mother. I have been living and working in Dubai for eight years, and, like many people, I have always dreamed of having a home here. Now that dream has come true, and I am very grateful. This is my first win, and I still can’t believe it.”
Grand winner Mohammad Salman Masood at one of the show apartments
Masood has already visited the apartment and plans to celebrate the milestone with his friends, as he considers what comes next for his new home.
He became the 12th and grand winner of ‘Win Your Home in Dubai’, jointly led by Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), part of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), and Dubai Chambers. The initiative awarded 11 studio apartments and one two-bedroom home, reinforcing Dubai as a place where people can build a life, invest in their future and develop a lasting sense of belonging.
The initiative delivered strong citywide engagement and commercial impact. Between 22 May and 30 August 2026, more than 120,000 shoppers participated, generating over 400,000 coupons. Shoppers could enter by spending AED 500 or more at any of the 1,000+ participating brands across more than 3,500 retail outlets. The initiative ran across some of Dubai’s key retail moments, including Eid Al Adha, 3 Day Super Sale and Dubai Summer Surprises, and generated more than AED 250 million in retail sales.
During Dubai Summer Surprises, the experience was further extended through weekly luxury staycation draws, awarding a total of 32 staycation experiences at properties such as Andaz Dubai The Palm, Waldorf Astoria Dubai, Le Méridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Waterpark, The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina, W Dubai, Marriott Resort Palm Jumeirah, One&Only Resorts, and Atlantis The Palm and giving even more participants the opportunity to experience Dubai’s world-class hospitality sector.
Reflecting Dubai’s diverse resident and visitor community, the 12 property winners represented 10 nationalities and included both residents and international visitors. Across the 12 draws, winners included four Indian, one Filipino, one British, one Emirati, one Lebanese, one Russian, one Libyan, one Kazakh and one Bangladeshi national. Ten winners were Dubai residents, one was based in Abu Dhabi, while the Kazakh winner was visiting Dubai as a tourist.
- Winner 1: Aysha Ameer – A 27-year-old Indian national Dubai resident, Aysha works as a business consultant in the city. She became the initiative’s first winner after a purchase at Pinko, taking home a brand-new studio apartment.
- Winner 2: Shyngyskhan Rysbek – A visitor to Dubai, Shyngyskhan is a 33-year-old photographer from Kazakhstan who was on holiday with his family when he entered the draw using his Grand Stores receipt. He flew back to the city just a week later to attend the award ceremony.
- Winner 3: Aditi – An Indian expat who has called Dubai home for 12 years and works in the finance sector, entered the draw after shopping with her husband and daughter at Damas. She was stunned to learn she had won a home, describing it as an unexpected moment for her family.
- Winner 4: Samer Hijazi – A Lebanese Dubai resident and first Arab winner who won a studio apartment after a spontaneous furniture purchase at Royal Furniture, just as he and his wife prepared to welcome their first child.
- Winner 5: Swathy Santhosh – An Abu Dhabi resident and Indian expat from Kerala who moved to the UAE nearly a year ago, Swathy entered the draw while shopping for a gift at Call It Spring in Mall of the Emirates, with her win bringing her one step closer to reuniting with her husband and parents in Dubai.
- Winner 6: Stacey Bukhantseva – Originally from Russia, Stacey is a long-time Dubai resident who moved to the city in 2013 after spending 18 years in the United States. She entered the draw following a shopping trip at La Senza in Mall of the Emirates and went on to win her first-ever home.
- Winner 7: Hussain Alkazim – A 61-year-old Emirati and former journalist, Hussain was born and raised in Dubai and spent 27 years with Dubai Media documenting the city’s growth and major milestones. His AED 1,100 grocery purchase at Union Coop in Al Barsha Mall turned into a brand-new studio apartment.
- Winner 8: Ethel Metry – A Filipina expat who has called Dubai home for nearly 20 years, entered the draw after purchasing a gold ring from Jawhara Jewellery before travelling to the Philippines. Unaware that her simple purchase would ultimately become the winning entry, she was stunned to learn that she had won a brand-new studio apartment.
- Winner 9: Tareq Al Tayar – Originally from Libya, Tareq has called the UAE home since 2005 and is a father of four who works as a statistician at the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre. A regular participant in raffles, he entered the draw after shopping at Primark in Dubai Mall and was thrilled to discover three days later that he had won a brand-new studio apartment.
- Winner 10: Grace Agnew – Grace moved to Dubai to be with her husband nearly three years ago after living in London and working as a financial planner. She entered the draw for the first time after purchasing two pairs of shoes from Clarks at Dubai Festival City Mall and was amazed to discover that her AED 657.75 purchase had won her first-ever property in Dubai.
- Winner 11: Inderjeet Kaur – Inderjeet moved to Dubai from India over 35 years ago and now owns her own real estate business. While shopping for shoes at Dune London, she was encouraged by store staff to enter a draw but forgot to do so before leaving. Unbeknownst to her, her husband had uploaded the receipt on her behalf, and she later received the winning call while the couple were in the US. They cut their holiday short to return to Dubai and personally receive the apartment and celebrate with their daughters.
Mohammed Feras Arayqat, Vice President of Retail Calendar and Promotions at Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), said: “Win Your Home in Dubai has demonstrated what can be achieved when Dubai’s retail ecosystem comes together around a proposition that is both commercially impactful and genuinely meaningful to people. More than AED 250 million in sales and over 120,000 participating shoppers reflect the strength of the response, but the stories behind the winners are equally important. Many have built their lives in Dubai over many years, and seeing a shopping experience turn into the opportunity to own a home in the city has made this initiative particularly special.”
“This initiative also reflects the power of public-private collaboration in creating new reasons to engage with Dubai’s retail sector, while delivering value for shoppers, retailers and partners. We look forward to building on its success as we continue to evolve Dubai’s retail calendar with experiences that strengthen the city’s appeal to residents and visitors alike,” he added.
Khalid AlJarwan, Executive Vice President of Commercial and Corporate Services at Dubai Chambers, commented: “Initiatives such as ‘Win Your Home in Dubai’ demonstrate how Dubai continues to find new ways to engage consumers and support business growth. They also show how strong partnerships can translate innovative ideas into meaningful opportunities for the private sector. At Dubai Chambers, we remain committed to supporting initiatives that strengthen the competitiveness of the business community and contribute to sustainable economic growth.”
Bringing together government entities and private-sector partners across retail, real estate and hospitality, ‘Win Your Home in Dubai’ showcased the strength of Dubai’s collaborative economic ecosystem. The initiative supported retail activity while creating an aspirational reward proposition for residents and visitors, further reinforcing Dubai’s position as a leading global destination to visit, live, invest, and experience.