The Most Expensive Number Plates Sold in UAE
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Expensive Car Number Plates in the UAE: A New Trend Among Millionaires
The Trend of Million-Dollar Number Plates
A stunning new trend has recently emerged among the wealthiest denizens of the UAE – spending millions of Dirhams on car registration plates. These number plates have become the latest sought-after item by UAE millionaires as an accessory to their luxury cars. Many times, the amount bid for the plate actually exceeds the price of the car with which it will be used.
What Makes a Number Plate Desirable?
The aim is to get the smallest possible license number. The most sought-after plates are:
- Single-digit numbers such as 1, 2, and 3
- Two-digit numbers ranging from 10 to 99
- Repetitive numbers like 11, 22, 33, etc.
Other car owners are bidding for numbers that are linked to their car’s model number (e.g., the plate number 599 for a Ferrari 599) or numbers that hold personal significance, such as birth dates or anniversaries.
Business Opportunities in Number Plate Auctions
The demand for exclusive number plates is so high that some individuals have turned it into a business. One prominent bidder, Abdullah Al Hammadi, claims to have over 7,000 plates valued between Dh60 million and Dh70 million.
Al Hammadi noted that many of the bidders are young people who believe that having a prestigious number on their car will earn them respect. Interestingly, some buyers choose not to use these ultra-expensive plates on their cars, as they believe that doing so could lower the plate's value.
Record-Breaking Auctions
The most expensive license plate ever sold in Dubai recently auctioned for a whopping Dh52.2 million, during an auction run by Emirates Auction, supported by the Abu Dhabi Police General Directorate. The winner of plate number “1” was 25-year-old businessman Saeed Abdul Ghafour Khouri from Abu Dhabi, whose winning bid was more than double that of the third-place record holder, plate number “5”, which sold for Dh25.2 million to Talal Ali Mohammad Khouri, Saeed’s cousin.
Other Notable Purchases
The second most expensive number plate was sold to Indian businessman Balwinder Sahani, who paid Dh33 million for number plate “D-5” at the Roads and Transport Authority auction. Sahani plans to use the plate with one of his many Rolls-Royce cars. Notably, this is not the first time Sahani has invested heavily in license numbers; he previously bid Dh25 million for license plate “O-9” and has amassed ten license plates to date.
Another businessman, Arif Ahmad Al Zarouni, paid Dh18 million for plate number “1” in Sharjah, expressing his ambition to always be number one.
The Charitable Aspect of Number Plate Auctions
A positive aspect of the auctioning of these number plates is that the proceeds will go to charitable causes. The proceeds from the Emirates Auction that sold the record-breaking number plate will be used to open a specialized hospital for accident victims in Abu Dhabi.
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