Unique Dubai license plate sells for $2 million to highest bidder
- A number plate has sold in Dubai for roughly $2 million
- The auction was held by the Road and Transport Authority (RTA)
- It saw a 28 percent increase on the total raised compared to the previous auction
Published on May 21, 2024 at 2:24 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on May 22, 2024 at 12:09 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Alessandro Renesis
Forget the eye-watering cost of some supercars, a license plate has sold in Dubai for AED 7.3 million (roughly USD $2 million) at an auction held by the Road and Transport Authority (RTA).
In total, a massive AED 65 million (or USD $18 million) was spent in total at the 115th Premium Vehicle Number Plates Open Auction.
And these license plate prices certainly show no signs of slowing down, in fact, it’s a 28 percent increase on the previous auction held by the organization.
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It seems simplicity was key to the license plates’ value at the event, which took place at the Hilton Dubai Al Habtoor City.
It was vehicle number AA16 that sold for the highest amount.
This was closely followed by plate number AA69 for the sum of AED 6 million (USD $1.6 million) and AA999 for AED 4 million (USD 1.1 million).
In total, over 90 plates were put on auction.
These featured two, three, four, and five-digit numbers across various categories, including ‘AA-I-J-L-M-O-P-R-S-T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z’, per RTA.
“It is based on neutrality, transparency, and providing equal opportunities for lovers of special numbers, who seek to acquire them through the authority’s auctions because these special numbers represent important occasions, symbols, events, and milestones in their lives,” the organization said in a statement.
Simplistic number plates might not be the future, however, as digital license plates were recently approved in the US.
They allow users to add a personal message to the bottom of their plate, under the registration itself, and alert the owner if the vehicle is stolen – here’s everything you need to know.
It’s still undecided how the plate system will work for Dubai’s incoming fleet of next-level flying cars.
In other Dubai car news, the first Cybertruck was delivered by Tesla to Dubai and was seen parked on the beach.
One YouTuber got to check out the Foundation Series model and, in true Tesla style, was also treated to an over-the-top light show.
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All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
