RTA to auction premium car number plates soon: Check dates

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced the dates for an online auction of “fancy number plates”. Up to 350 such plates will be released for purchase at the virtual event.

Details of auction

The special number plates comprise of 2-digit plates for vintage vehicles and bikes, as per the notification on the RTA website. The RTA will also release three, four and five-digit plates for private vehicles bearing (A-G-H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O-P-Q-R-S-T-U-V) codes.

In order to participate in the bidding, the RTA requires interested parties to register on its website. Each bidder is required to have a current traffic file in the emirate of Dubai.

The online event also requires a security cheque of Dhs5,000 made to RTA, and an un-refundable participation fee of Dhs120. The payments can be made in person at Customer Happiness Centres at Umm Al Ramool, Al Barsha, Deira; or by credit card on the RTA website, or via the Dubai Drive app. The selling of licensing plates in this auction will be subject to a 5 per cent VAT.

Date

Those interested in participating can register on the RTA website starting May 22. The bidding process kicks off at 8am on May 29 and will continue for five days.

World record

This is the 71st such auction held by RTA for “distinguished licensing numbers.” The UAE has a long history of being home to some of the most expensive vehicle number plates in the world.

P7 – Dhs55m ($15m)

Dubai holds the distinction of auctioning off the world’s most expensive number plate. The record was set this year during the month of Ramadan. An unnamed Emirati bidder paid a record Dh55m ($15 m) for Dubai’s P 7 plate. The auction was held to support efforts to combat global hunger under the One Billion Meals campaign.

The Most Noble Number charity auction in Dubai, has raised Dhs97.920m that will go towards supporting #1BillionMeals endowment.The world’s most expensive vehicle plate number (P7) was sold during the auction for Dhs55 m.@dutweets https://t.co/gIIGAJlv1g pic.twitter.com/SeQI52JkV1

— مبادرات محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم العالمية (@MBRInitiatives) April 9, 2023

1 – Dhs52.2m

The Abu Dhabi – 1 plate held the record for 16 years for being the most expensive number plate in the UAE. Abu Dhabi-based businessman Saeed Al Khouri paid Dhs52.2m for this numero uno plate back in 2008.

AA9 – Dhs38m

The AA9 Dubai number plate was sold for Dhs38m at the Most Noble Numbers sale in May 2021. The charity event, held by the Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai, auctioned rare number plates and mobile numbers to raise money for the 100 Million Meals campaign.