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A school supervisor from Doha has earned a surprise New Year gift becoming an instant millionaire in Qatar Duty Free’s popular cash raffle draw. S.K. Abdul Razak, an Indian national, was given the news in a New Year’s Day phone call shortly after the draw was conducted at Doha International Airport.
The draw was made within the retail area of Doha International Airport by Qatar Airways and Qatar Duty Free Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker. The duty free operation is a subsidiary of Qatar Airways, the national airline of the State of Qatar.
Speaking on holiday from his family home in the southern Indian state of Kerala, 52-year-old Abdul Razak greeted the news with shock and excitement – he becomes the fifth millionaire since the popular raffle draw was introduced in 2006.
“This has been a great New Year gift for me and my family,” said father-of-two Abdul Razak, who works as an assistant supervisor at MES School in Doha. He has lived in the Qatari capital Doha for over 20 years. He bought his winning ticket at Doha International Airport en route to Cochin and hopes to use his winnings to support worthy causes. “I also want to start a business in Kerala to provide a better future for my family,” he added.
Al Baker said it was a perfect start to 2010 for the latest winner of the duty free promotion, which also created the State of Qatar’s first instant millionaire of 2010.
“I offer my personal congratulations to Mr Abdul Razak. It is terrific that he will be using the money for worthy causes and to secure his family’s future. For those who missed out this time, there’s always another chance to win next time,” said Al Baker following the draw, adding that the promotion was extremely popular as part of the overall shopping experience at Doha International Airport.
The US Dollar Millionaire raffle was launched in May 2006 giving passengers a great opportunity to win the bumper prize as each draw is made after 5,000 tickets are sold. Departing and transiting passengers at Doha International Airport are able to purchase raffle tickets for USD 263 or QAR950 each.
Qatar Duty Free operates at the Departures, Arrivals, VIP and the Premium Terminal of Doha International Airport. It also operates an outlet at Doha Port for a growing number of passengers arriving and departing the State of Qatar by sea.
As one of the fastest growing Duty Free operations in the Middle East, Qatar Duty Free has enjoyed significant growth year on year, helped by a ramping up of its presence in the departures hall and the Premium Terminal at Doha International Airport, the airline’s operational hub. In addition to the highly successful One Million US Dollar Cash Raffle, the company also holds the popular Luxury Car Draws.
The company has introduced a wide range of high-end luxury brands at the airport, in addition to expanding the existing range of Confectionery, Electronics, Souvenirs, Toys and other categories.
With the New Doha International Airport set to open by the end of 2011, the Qatar Duty Free team is already working on designing the available retail spaces, which will be over 25,000sqm. There will also be exclusive branded boutiques within the new retail area catering to passengers from all walks of life.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
