Flashy car plates – no price is too great for UAE car aficionados

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – When it comes to the fascination of car plates, there is no price too great for car aficionados in the UAE, who are known for making global headlines in how much they can

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – When it comes to the fascination of car plates, there is no price too great for car aficionados in the UAE, who are known for making global headlines in how much they can spend at number plate auctions.

With the Roads and Transport Authority’s (RTA) announcement that it will hold its 90th Number Plates Auction this Saturday, March 19, bids are expected to skyrocket as residents try to outbid the other in their quest to buy the ultimate car plate.

โ€œStaging the 90th open auction is intended to fulfill the needs of a broad spectrum of community members, especially those fond of obtaining flashy number plates. The forthcoming auction, the first of its kind this year, will offer 2, 3, 4 and 5-digit plates,โ€ said Sultan Al Marzooki, Director of Vehicles Licensing at RTA Licensing Agency.

According to reports, the UAE holds the world record for the most expensive plate at Dh52.2 million ($14.21 million), for Abu Dhabi licence plate No. 1, with the second license plate for Abu Dhabi No. 5 at Dh25.2 million ($6.86 million).

โ€œThe auction [next week] will offer numbers appealing to the public covering codes H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q and R; which makes it capable of satisfying the needs and wishes of number plate enthusiasts,โ€ he said.

But you donโ€™t have to wait for next weekend to find out how much a special plate number can cost.

It is not uncommon for residents to take a chance in re-selling their plate numbers through authorised trade dealers, whose prices are subsequently determined by the market.

One of the most popular online sites for selling plate numbers is 2020 Special Number Trading, with its records showing car plates that have sold for as much as a quarter of a million dirhams.

The 5 most expensive car plate numbers now in the market:

Dh420,000: L 171

Dh380,000: O 103

Dh68,000: J 77700

Dh48,000: I 1982

Dh28,000: R 1104

Source: 2020 Special Number Trading

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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