Employees pick mystery boxes — but not everyone finds the same gift
What began as a simple workplace gift activity at a UAE company turned into an elaborate surprise for its employees — and subsequently attracted attention across social media.
A video shared by Haseena Nishad, managing director of UAE-based manpower supply company World Star Manpower, shows employees standing around a table filled with wrapped gift boxes.
The employees were invited to select and open the packages without knowing what was inside.
As the boxes were unwrapped, there was an obvious difference in what employees received: some found new iPhones, while others opened their packages to discover chocolate bars.
At that stage, the activity appeared to be based on luck.
It wasn't.
The real surprise came after the boxes were opened
The biggest reveal came after employees had seen what they initially received.
Haseena Nishad then stepped in and presented iPhones to the employees whose mystery boxes had contained chocolates, meaning the chocolate recipients were not ultimately left with a smaller gift.
By the end of the activity, the employees featured in the giveaway had received iPhones regardless of which mystery box they had initially selected.
The delayed reveal was what transformed the mystery-box exercise into the video's central surprise.
Who shared the viral video?
The video was shared by Nishad Hussain, founder of World Star Manpower, and his wife Haseena Nishad, the company's managing director, according to India Today.
Hindustan Times reported that Nishad Hussain moved from India to the UAE in 2008 and subsequently established his business there. The report describes Haseena Nishad as Kerala-born and says she later became managing director of the company.
The footage itself is therefore not an anonymous viral clip: the company's leadership publicly shared the workplace activity.
Haseena Nishad credits employees for company's success
Alongside the video, Haseena Nishad posted a message focused on employees' contribution to the organisation.
She wrote:
“As Managing Director, I believe true success comes from our people’s dedication, positive spirit, and collective strength!”
She added that employees' efforts, ideas and individual contributions play a role in moving the organisation forward.
Nishad also encouraged employees to have confidence in their abilities, make use of opportunities for growth and continue supporting one another.
She concluded:
“Our strength is our people, and our possibilities are limitless!”
The remarks provide context for the giveaway: according to the company's managing director, the exercise was intended as recognition of the workforce and its contribution rather than simply a random prize competition.
Social media users react to the surprise
The mystery-box format helped the video gain attention online because viewers initially saw what appeared to be two very different outcomes.
Some employees immediately discovered iPhones, while others received chocolates. The later decision to give iPhones to the chocolate recipients changed the meaning of the activity.
Social-media responses cited by Hindustan Times largely praised the gesture, while some users jokingly wondered when their own employers would organise a similar giveaway.
One of the reactions highlighted by the publication argued that the employees were fortunate not simply because they received iPhones, but because of the way management treated its staff.
What the video confirms — and what it doesn't
The footage and posts establish that employees participated in the mystery-box activity and that people initially receiving chocolates were subsequently presented with iPhones.
However, reports reviewed for this article do not establish the total monetary value of the giveaway or provide a complete independently verified count of every iPhone distributed.
Those details should therefore not be inferred from the viral footage alone.
What can be confirmed is the central twist: the apparent winners and losers created by the mystery boxes ultimately disappeared when the chocolate recipients were also given iPhones.
Why the simple gift idea attracted attention
The video's appeal comes largely from its structure.
Instead of handing identical gifts to everyone immediately, the company created uncertainty by mixing chocolates and iPhones among the mystery boxes. That produced an apparent contrast between employees before the second reveal changed the outcome.
The result was a workplace appreciation exercise designed around a social-media-friendly surprise — while the message accompanying it focused on employee contribution, teamwork and collective growth.
For World Star Manpower's management, the public message was ultimately less about who chose the right box and more about ensuring the employees involved in the exercise shared in the reward.
Sources
Primary Source: India Today, published September 25, 2026.
Additional Source: Hindustan Times, published September 25, 2026.
