Free Prize Draw Opens for UAE Residents; No Purchase Required for Dh100,000 Chance
Residents can submit wishes for free entry into weekly draws with cash prizes up to Dh100,000.
Bogdan Lefter had a simple way of putting it: “Every wish carries a story, a dream and a reason to keep believing.” That belief is the engine behind Big Ticket Abu Dhabi’s “Dear Big Ticket” campaign, now entering its fourth season and offering UAE residents a shot at up to Dh100,000 without spending a dirham to enter.
The campaign launched on August 3 during the live draw of Series 289. It runs through October 25. No ticket purchase is required, no financial commitment of any kind. Residents aged 18 and above simply submit a wish through the Big Ticket website, either as written text of up to 1,000 characters or as a short video no longer than one minute.
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The wishes are organized into five categories: health and wellbeing, education, housing and accommodation, business and entrepreneurship, and family and union. Each one maps to a different kind of need. Someone facing urgent medical costs, a family hoping to afford better housing, a first-time entrepreneur, relatives separated across borders by circumstance and distance, all have a place here.
The submission window closes August 23. After that, five standout wishes will be selected each week and produced as short videos, then shared across the Big Ticket website and social media. These stories will also air on television channels including StarPlus, Asianet ME and Star Gold, carrying them to audiences across the region.
Voting opens September 7 and runs through September 27, open to UAE residents and audiences beyond the country’s borders. Anyone who votes through the Big Ticket website is automatically entered into a weekly draw to win one of five Big Tickets.
The prize structure gives participants two routes to the Dh100,000 grand prize. Each week, the two shortlisted wishes drawing the most votes each receive Dh100,000. The remaining nine shortlisted stories each receive Dh10,000. Season 4 adds a new twist: one of those nine participants will be chosen by the hosts to have their Dh10,000 upgraded to the full Dh100,000, a second chance built into the format itself.
Winners are announced weekly between October 5 and October 25.
Since its launch in 2018, Dear Big Ticket has funded urgent medical treatments, reunited families separated across borders, and supported other deeply personal aspirations. Season 3 alone saw six UAE residents, originally from India, Egypt, the Philippines and Uganda, each receive Dh100,000. Their stories reached viewers well beyond the UAE, with community votes shaping who ultimately won.
What changes in Season 4 is that expanded second-chance mechanism, which means a participant who might otherwise walk away with Dh10,000 could leave with ten times that amount. Whether that addition draws more submissions, and more votes, will become clear when the final winners are revealed on October 25.
Q&A
Who can participate in the Dear Big Ticket campaign and what is required to enter?
UAE residents aged 18 and above can participate for free by submitting a wish through the Big Ticket website as written text (up to 1,000 characters) or a short video (up to one minute). No ticket purchase or financial commitment is required.
What are the five wish categories in the campaign?
The five categories are health and wellbeing, education, housing and accommodation, business and entrepreneurship, and family and union. Each category addresses different kinds of personal needs.
How much can winners receive and what is the prize structure?
Each week, the two wishes receiving the most votes each win Dh100,000. The remaining nine shortlisted stories each receive Dh10,000. In Season 4, one of those nine participants is chosen by hosts to have their Dh10,000 upgraded to Dh100,000.
When does the campaign run and when are winners announced?
The campaign runs from August 3 through October 25. Submissions close August 23. Voting opens September 7 and runs through September 27. Winners are announced weekly between October 5 and October 25.