A gold ring purchased as a gift brought an unexpected reward to Filipina overseas worker Ethel Metry: her first property in Dubai.
Metry has lived in the emirate for nearly 20 years. Before travelling to the Philippines for a holiday, she visited a Jawhara jewellery store to buy a gold ring for a family member.
A sales employee told her about the “Win Your Home in Dubai” promotion and encouraged her to join. Metry uploaded her receipt, making the purchase her official raffle entry.
She did not expect anything to come from it. It was the first raffle she had ever entered.
The winning call came while she was in the Philippines
Metry was already in the Philippines when the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment team called to tell her that she had won a studio apartment.
At first, she worried that the call might be a scam. A poor phone connection also made the situation harder to understand.
She checked the promotion’s Instagram account and looked at its earlier winners. Metry only became certain after receiving an official confirmation by email.
The first person she contacted was her husband. Both struggled to believe that a simple shopping receipt had won them a property.
Metry became the campaign’s eighth studio apartment winner, according to ARN News Centre.
A home after nearly two decades abroad
Metry has not yet decided what she will do with the studio unit.
Still, owning a property under her name is a major personal milestone after spending almost two decades working and living in Dubai.
She also encouraged her sister to join before the campaign closes, saying that ordinary shoppers really can win.
Other shoppers still have time to enter
The promotion runs until August 30, 2026. It is jointly organized by Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, which is part of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, and Dubai Chambers.
Residents and visitors aged 18 and older can join by spending at least AED 500 at participating stores. They must scan the campaign QR code and upload their receipt.
More than 1,000 brands and 3,500 retail outlets are taking part.
The campaign will award 11 studio apartments, while a two-bedroom apartment will be given as the final grand prize. The remaining weekly draws are scheduled for August 16, 23, and 30 at Dubai Festival City Mall.
