An impoverished Indian carwash manager who scraped a living of just over GBP 300 a month is one the biggest ever jackpot winners in the United Arab Emirates after scooping almost GBP 7 million in a prize draw.

Kathar Hussain had used the tips that he was given by customers to purchase the winning ticket and even borrowed some of the tip money from a friend who will now also share on the wing.

Millions of people tuned in to see who would win the record prize in the UAE’s Big Ticket draw and when the ticket was chosen, the host of the show rang the lucky winner Kathar Hussain to let him know the good news.

But viewers were left disappointed in hearing his reaction – because his phone was switched off as he had made a trip back home to visit his family in India.

But he was later tracked down to his home in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu and revealed that he had already heard the good news as he was watching the show online, adding he could not even begin to imagine earning so much money.

He added that he had collected the ticket on his birthday, which turned out to be lucky for him, and that the entry price was often too much for him to take part as often as he would have liked.

He said: “I have not often been able to purchase tickets, only some 7-8 times over the past five years. I used to save money each month and then along with my friend Devaraj’s contributions, buy a ticket.”

He added one of the first things he planned to do would be to share some of it with his Devaraj who had helped him save up the money from their tips at the car wash to buy the winning ticket.

The AED 30 million prize that he eventually scooped was revealed to be the biggest in the competition’s 30-year history.

Speaking to local media, the lucky winner said: “I earn AED 1,500 every month [GBP 330]. Even if I work every day and spent nothing, I would still never earn so much as I’ve just one in a lifetime.”

“I was watching the show and was in India at my friend’s home when I realised I was the winner.”

He said he was unable to speak because he was so shocked and that he had never dreamed that such a day would come.

In the future, he plans to move back to the UAE where he has lived for seven years but this time with his family.

But he also plans to look after the family that remains behind and keep roots there by building a house.

He also will not be idle, saying that although he will give up his current job, he plans to start his own business although he did not say what that would involve.

The next prize in the game is likely to be even bigger, AED 35 million (GBP 7.7 million) with the draw due in January, but Hussain won’t be buying tickets for the draw.

He said: “I won’t be trying my luck again. Whatever Allah has given me is enough.”