'My hands were shaking': Kazakhstan tourist wins Dubai apartment after dismissing winning call as scam

Dubai: When Kazakhstan national Shynggyskhan Rysbek received a message stating he had won an apartment in Dubai, he ignored it, thinking it was a scam. The 34-year-old professional videographer lives and works in Almaty, Kazakhstan. During his recent vacation in Dubai, he had participated in the Win Your Home in Dubai initiative, a city-wide campaign jointly led by Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), a part of Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), and Dubai Chambers. It invites eligible residents and tourists to spend Dh500 at any of 1,000+ participating brands across Dubai, and get the chance to win a studio apartment in weekly draws. The grand prize in the final-week draw, is a two-bedroom apartment. When the message arrived, Rysbek couldn’t believe he had landed a studio flat in Dubai. He said: “It was June 22, at around noon. I was at work, filming as usual, when I received a message saying that I had won an apartment in Dubai. My first thought was that it was a scam, so I didn't reply. A few minutes later, I received another message from a different phone number. Again, I thought it was a scam and ignored it. Then the second number called me.” It was a DFRE representative, calling to confirm that Rysbek had truly won. But he was still suspicious: “I still didn't believe it. I asked them to provide proof, and they did. Even after seeing the evidence, I was still in doubt because, honestly, I believed until the very last moment that winning an apartment like this was simply impossible.” Rysbek’s family had travelled to Dubai on vacation with a friend’s family. So, he immediately dialled his friend and asked if he had received a similar call. When his friend replied in the negative, Rysbek did some more research on the Win Your Home in Dubai promotion. He learned he was the second winner to receive a studio apartment. When it finally hit him that the news was real, he was “overwhelmed with happiness. My heart was racing, and my hands were shaking.” Rysbek immediately called his wife to share the news, and said: “It was a moment that neither of us will ever forget.” Win Your Home in Dubai winner Shyngyskhan Rysbek is from Kazakhstan and couldn't believe his luck when he received the fateful message. Picture credit: DFRE The winning receipt Rysbek’s trip to the city, from June 7 to 17 this year, was not his first. He has visited Dubai several times with his wife, 11-year-old son and seven-year-old daughter. He said: “We always enjoy coming back. Every time we visit, we discover something new. We really like the city because it is clean, modern, safe, and full of opportunities. The people are welcoming, the service is excellent, and everything is very well organised.” On their vacation, the family visited several shopping malls across the city. Rysbek said he often encountered signs and ads for the Win Your Home in Dubai promotion, but ignored them: “Every time we saw the promotion, we simply ignored it....” On the last day of their trip, however, he decided to try his luck. “We said, ‘why not?’. We uploaded just one receipt for Dh5,599 and didn't think much about it afterwards. We returned home to Kazakhstan and completely forgot about it. Looking back now, that one small decision changed our lives in a way we never expected.” New home, new possibilities Rysbek is already a homeowner. His family lives in their two-bedroom apartment in Almaty, and he said they are grateful for it: “It is our family home, where we have created many happy memories together. However, owning another property, especially in a city like Dubai, was never something I imagined could happen. It feels like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that could create new possibilities for my family's future.” A home in Dubai means much more than just owning another property, for Rysbek. He explained: “As a husband and a father of two children, I always think about my family's future. This apartment is much more than just real estate — it's an investment in our family's future.” Before winning a flat, it had never crossed his mind to consider Dubai as a place to live and work. Now, it’s an idea that’s taken root. Rysbek said: “Now that we have this opportunity and a home here, the idea has definitely crossed my mind. I work as a videographer, and I would love to work in Dubai and explore the opportunities my profession could offer.” Ever since he won the apartment, friends and family have been inundating him with calls and questions. Rysbek said: “Even before winning this apartment, I always recommended Dubai to my friends and family. I have always admired how clean, safe, and modern the city is, the high level of service, and the many amazing places to visit. After people found out that we had won the apartment, many of our friends and relatives started asking us about Dubai and about the initiative. Now, even more of them want to visit the city.” Rysbek visited the UAE again last weekend, to collect his prize and officiall