Filipina expat's gold shopping wins her a Dubai apartment in raffle draw

Shopping for a gold ring in Dubai turned out to be lucky for Filipina expat Ethel Metry after it won her a forever home in the Emirate she has called home for 20 years.

It was during a last-minute shopping for gold before her trip home that she was encouraged by the staff at Jawhara store to take part in the 'Win Your Home in Dubai' campaign.

She uploaded her shopping bill, and entered the draw.

Metry, however, was not entirely convinced when she got the call claiming her win. "When I received the call, I wanted it to be true, but I was also worried it wasn't. I even went on Instagram and looked at all the previous winners before it finally felt real," she said.

It was after she received an official confirmation via email that she felt fully certain of her win.

"The first person I called was my husband, and I told him, 'I won an apartment'. His first response was, ‘Are you serious?’ We were both in disbelief. This is the first raffle I have ever entered and the first time I have ever won anything. It is unbelievable."

While she has not yet decided what the future holds for the studio apartment, owning a property under her name in the city she calls home is a milestone she never imagined. 

Running until August 30, 'Win Your Home in Dubai' is jointly led by Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), a part of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), and Dubai Chambers. It offers shoppers the opportunity to win one of 12 new Binghatti Developers residential units across Dubai.

Each week, one studio apartment will be awarded, and one lucky shopper will win the grand prize of a two-bedroom apartment at the grand draw.

The next set of weekly draws will be on August 16, 23, and 30 at Dubai Festival City Mall.

Eligible residents and visitors aged 18 and above can enter for a chance to win an apartment by spending AED 500 at any of the 1,000+ participating brands across more than 3,500 retail outlets in Dubai.

Shoppers can validate their entry by scanning the  QR code on official campaign materials at participating locations and uploading their receipt.

“Nothing is impossible. It really happens. People really do win from simply shopping. I have already told my sister that it’s still running until 30 August and encouraged her to keep shopping because maybe she will be the next winner,” said Ethel .