Skywards, Emirates’ award-winning Frequent Flyer programme, has raised nearly 350,000AED (€71,500) in this year’s Thanks a Million raffle draw at the Dubai World Cup, 50,000AED (€10,000) more than last year’s raffle. Funds raised will go to three charities: Senses, the Red Crescent, and the UN World Food Programme (WFP).

The lucky grand prize winner, the Skywards Millionaire, is Mats Karlsson, a local Dubai resident originally from Sweden and a Skywards Blue member. Mats and his wife will be able to use their miles in a variety of ways - a trip around the world or 22 Emirates return tickets to their home country – joining an elite group of less than 1% of all 6 million Skywards members worldwide with over a million Miles.

Now in its 12th year, the Skywards Thanks a Million draw has raised over Dhs 2.8 million (€580,000) for various charities and proceeds from this year’s Thanks a Million raffle are divided between Senses, the Red Crescent, and the UN World Food Programme.

Emirates operates flights on a daily schedule from Malta to Dubai via Larnaka, Cyprus.