du announces lucky winner of Andrea Bocelli AED 10,000 raffle

du, the UAE’s integrated telecom services provider, announced today the lucky winner of the grand AED 10,000 raffle prize, from the entries made to the draw during the Andrea Bocelli concert in Abu Dhabi.

Australian national Ranjith Powell was selected as the winner after entering the draw at Italian operatic pop tenor and classical singer Andrea Bocelli’s concert, held live at Emirates Palace on 27 March.

People were entered into the draw via an on-the-spot activity at the Emirates Palace venue, which asked people at random if they wished to participate in the du ‘Smart People’ activity. Those that agreed were photographed, and their image uploaded to the www.smartpeople.ae website. All those that were photographed were entered into the raffle, with an equal chance to win the AED 10,000 grand prize.

Powell, who has lived in Dubai for two years and subscribes to du services including TV, landline, internet and mobile, explained how he came to enter the competition. He said; “My friends had invited me to the concert and even though we were running late, I noticed the du raffle promotion and decided to enter, despite my friends telling me there was no point! When I found out I had won, they couldn’t believe it and said that it was meant to be! I am absolutely thrilled to have won this fantastic prize thanks to du, especially after having such a great evening at the concert. With the money I’m going to buy gold and jewellery for my mother. Thank you du!”

Farid Faraidooni, EVP Commercial, du, said: “The Smart People activity was a fun and experiential way to connect with customers and present to them our new Elite and Premiere Plans in a unique way and part of a teaser campaign towards the launch of those products. We then added the element of excitement by offering all participants the chance of winning a cash prize. We congratulate Ranjith on his good luck and are happy that the activity was such an astounding success, enjoyed by all of those that took part.”

The Andrea Bocelli event, sponsored by du, formed part of the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Festival, in conjunction with Flash and LiveNation. du remains committed to bringing the best in entertainment to the UAE by sponsoring a number of diverse music concerts, and to bringing du to life for customers through competitions and other experiences.

New home dream comes true for Dubai Bank millionaire

The dream of owning a home is now a reality for Hassan Yousef Ahmed, who has become the latest winner of AED 1 million in Dubai Bank’s cash prize draw. In April this year, the 27-year-old Emirati IT professional invested AED 300,000 in Dubai Bank’s Kunooz Value Plus account, and was surprised when his savings turned into a fortune, with which he is set to buy a property for the first time ever."This fortune comes as a special reward. It is quite a blessing in these times of financial uncertainty around the world," said Hassan. "I have been keen to purchase a property in Dubai and, as a Kunooz winner, I can now pursue this dream. My wife and I look forward to our new home."Hassan was in Kuwait at the time of the Dubai Bank draw. On his return to Dubai, Hassan was awarded his cheque by Ahmed Hamid Lootah, Head of Branches, Retail Banking Group, Dubai Bank.Speaking on behalf of Dubai Bank, Lootah said: "This is the second of three monthly draws where Dubai Bank is giving away exciting cash prizes. These are more than just prizes; they are making lives better for our customers and helping them achieve their personal goals. Being able to do so in a Sharia-compliant manner, wherein deposits are fully guaranteed and the account opening process is simple, has made our Kunooz Value Plus account a popular savings option among UAE residents."He added that the Kunooz promotion has historically offered rewards such as cars, apartments, holiday packages and other such gifts. Recently, the Kunooz programme introduced a cash prize promotion. As part of this, for each multiple of AED 1,000 deposited in the Kunooz Account, the customer is eligible for one entry into the draw for daily cash prizes of AED 30,000. For every multiple of AED 5,000 deposited, account holders also beome eligible for entry into the monthly grand prize draw of AED 1 million.The final cash grand prize draw for this quarter will take place on July 5. Entry for all eligible customers into the draw is automatic.

Final day prize bonanza at Festival@The Dubai Mall: AED 1 million and Bentley car up for grabs

One lucky shopper will win the grand prize of AED 1 million on Friday (May 29, 2009) as Festival @The Dubai Mall, the month long shopping and entertainment extravaganza at the world’s largest shopping and leisure destination, draws to a close.The Grand Bentley raffle draw for a luxurious, four-door Bentley Continental Flying Spur will also be held on May 29, adding to the excitement of the closing day celebration. Several entertainers will join in the mall-wide entertainment in a fitting grand finale of the family festival that has attracted thousands of visitors over four weeks. Mr Nasser Rafi, Chief Executive Officer, Emaar Malls Group, said: “The Festival@The Dubai Mall is one of the most unique mall-wide retail promotion events ever undertaken in Dubai. The total cash prize package of AED 3.1 million adds to the excitement of shopping with visitors having the extensive choice of 900 retail stores including 160 F&B outlets.” He added: “The closing day will be a bonanza with two grand draws – one for AED 1 million in the Win Millions raffle, and the other for the Bentley car. Two lucky winners will join over 100 lucky customers, who have already won cash prizes ranging from AED 10,000 to AED 150,000.” Visitors to The Dubai Mall can enter the ‘Win Millions’ raffle for the AED 1 million draw and a daily draw of AED 10,000 on Thursday, by spending a total of AED 500 in any of the retail and/or F&B outlet, while also availing of bargain deals from the participating outlets. They can collect the raffle coupons from the customer service desks. Raffle coupons for the Grand Bentley draw are sold out. Only 5,000 tickets, each priced AED 200, were on sale to win the coveted Bentley Continental Flying Spur. Ticket-holders also have access to the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo walk-through tunnel for closer encounters with the 33,000 aquatic animals. The Festival@The Dubai Mall also featured Bid 2 Win, an innovative auction for premium products; bargain deals on various global brands and mall-wide entertainment. It is supported by Dubai Media Inc, Arab Media Group and The Address Hotels + Resorts, a part of Emaar Hospitality Group.

Dubai Bank Customer Opens Account, Becomes Millionaire In A Month

Dubai, May 9, 2009: Barely one month after opening an account with Dubai Bank, local resident Shadi Mohammadd Adel Al Mashharaw, has become a dirham millionaire. The father of two has been named the first AED 1 million winner in Dubai Bank’s Kunooz Value Plus promotion. A new customer of the bank, in April Shadi deposited AED 100,000 into the Kunooz Value Plus account. To his enormous surprise, just one month later, his savings had multiplied 10-fold in the banks’ cash prize programme.Two days before the grand prize draw, Shadi had considered withdrawing his savings to invest in a property in Jordan. On second thought, he decided to delay his decision for a little while. Fortunately for Shadi, that was not a decision he will ever regret. On May 5, at the grand draw prize conducted live on Sama Dubai TV, viewed by hundreds of thousands across the country, Shadi was selected as the first millionaire in the bank’s three-month cash prize campaign. Not having watched the show, he was unaware of his winnings until an employee of the bank called him to confirm the news. “This was really unexpected, especially when I think I was very close to withdrawing my money just two days before the grand prize draw. My family is very excited with our good fortune. We have decided to keep our winnings in the Kunooz account and hope to see it grow further,” said Shadi.A native of Jordan, Shadi has lived in Dubai for many years. He is a sales professional, and a firm believer in financial savings. “I was keen on a saving scheme that was Sharia-compliant and with good rewards. Little did I know that this experience was going to be much more than just ‘good.’"Dubai Bank’s Kunooz promotion has historically offered rewards such as cars, apartments, holiday packages and other such gifts. For the first time, the Kunooz programme introduced a cash prize promotion. As part of this, for each multiple of AED 1,000 deposited in the Kunooz Account, the customer is eligible for one entry into the draw for daily cash prizes of AED 30,000. For every multiple of AED 5,000 deposited, account holders also become eligible for an entry into the monthly grand prize of AED 1 million.Ahmed Hamid Lootah, Head of Branches, Retail Banking Group, Dubai Bank, said: “We are very pleased to help our customers realise their aspirations. The Kunooz account was designed to be a simple savings option, packed with great benefits. Seeing customers like Mr. Shadi win the amazing cash prize makes our efforts truly worthwhile. This is one of our most popular accounts, offering the possibility to maximize profit earning opportunities in a secure manner.“We look forward to making more millionaires in this campaign as it runs until June 30, 2009. The response from the market to this campaign has been extremely encouraging, and we hope to extend or introduce similar programmes in the future. In addition to the monthly grand prize of AED 1 million, Kunooz campaign offers daily cash prizes of AED 30,000.”The next grand prize draws will take place on June 4 and July 5. Entry for all eligible customers into the draw is automatic.