What To Know
- Days later, that same ticket was selected as the winning entry for the 1kg gold prize, placing Aniketh at the center of a festival moment seen across the UAE.
- With gold prices currently at historic levels, the timing placed extra attention on the win and quickly turned Aniketh into one of the youngest headline winners of the 2026 Dubai Shopping Festival.
- The gold was presented by Tawhid Abdulla, Chairman of the Dubai Jewellery Group, who described Aniketh as very lucky to secure the prize during the festival season.
A regular shopping moment turned into a headline moment during this year’s Dubai Shopping Festival. A 13-year-old Indian expat student living in Sharjah has won one kilogram of gold, valued at more than Dh500,000, through the Dubai Jewellery Group’s official DSF gold raffle.
The winner, Aniketh R Nair, is an eighth-grade student originally from Kerala. His name was selected through a raffle entry generated after a jewellery purchase made earlier this month. The prize was formally handed to him during a public presentation tied to the festival’s gold promotions.
With gold prices currently at historic levels, the timing placed extra attention on the win and quickly turned Aniketh into one of the youngest headline winners of the 2026 Dubai Shopping Festival.
How the Raffle Entry Happened
The winning entry came from a purchase made on January 8, when Aniketh’s parents bought a bracelet priced above Dh1,500.
That amount qualified the purchase for entry into the Dubai Jewellery Group’s DSF gold raffle, one of the festival’s most anticipated promotions.
The raffle ticket was registered under Aniketh’s name. At the time, the family treated it as a standard entry linked to their receipt. No special request was made, and no additional purchases were involved.
Days later, that same ticket was selected as the winning entry for the 1kg gold prize, placing Aniketh at the center of a festival moment seen across the UAE.
The Winning Call and Family Reaction
When the notification call reached the family, Aniketh’s father, R Nair, reacted with caution. He later shared that his first thought was concern, given the number of scam calls people regularly receive.
Only after confirming the details through official Dubai Jewellery Group channels did the family accept the news as real. The confirmation ended any doubts and cleared the way for the formal prize handover.
R Nair said the family had never experienced anything similar and described the moment as unexpected but welcome.
The Gold Handover Ceremony
The official presentation took place on Monday, January 26, 2026.
Aniketh received four gold bars weighing 250 grams each, completing the full one-kilogram prize.
The gold was presented by Tawhid Abdulla, Chairman of the Dubai Jewellery Group, who described Aniketh as very lucky to secure the prize during the festival season. The ceremony highlighted the continued role of gold raffles as a central attraction during the Dubai Shopping Festival.
The event drew attention due to Aniketh’s age, the value of the prize, and the sustained interest in gold purchases during DSF.
Plans for the Prize
According to his father, the family plans to manage the prize responsibly. VAT obligations will be addressed first, followed by long-term planning related to education for Aniketh and his sister.
No immediate personal purchases have been announced. The family stated that their priority remains education and future preparation.
Each year, the Dubai Shopping Festival produces headline moments tied to shopping, rewards, and large scale promotions. This year, one of those moments belongs to a 13-year-old student from Sharjah.
Aniketh R Nair’s win places a personal story at the center of a festival known for scale, excitement, and opportunity. For one family, a simple jewellery purchase turned into a defining chapter of their DSF experience.
