(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) If you spot a Dubai licence plate bearing W22 as you are out driving in the UAE, know that its owner paid a whopping Dh2.62 million to acquire it. The exclusive number plate was put up for a base price of Dh1.7 million on Saturday and saw several minutes of intense bidding before it was sold.
Details of the winner were not immediately available.
Eighty exclusive licence plates bearing two to five digits of different codes were up for grabs on Saturday during the Roads and Transport Authority's (RTA) 98th open auction. In all, the day saw Dh19.98 million worth of number plates sold.
Apart from W22, other number plates that went under the hammer included T88888, which was sold for Dh710,000; T160 fetched Dh256,000; and S6060 was sold for Dh94,000.
An Emirati bidder, Mahmood Al Marzouqi, said bidding and ownership of special numbers is a matter of "great pride. "This is something my family has been doing for several years. We have several special numbers, including 70000 and 6449."
When asked why he attends these auctions, he said: "I get to meet other special number enthusiasts in Dubai during the auction. It's a very exciting process."
Abdullah Muhairi, another Emirati attending the auction, said he had been taking part in number plate auctions for over a decade. "Some of the numbers I own are Q40000, 60000 and 1101. My family owns several special numbers as well."
Lebanese bidder Zaher Chafie, a trader, said he has been dealing with special numbers since 2006. "I have several special numbers, including 32, 1000, 2000 and much more. I usually sell the numbers to other buyers through my website or my Instagram account. I also retain several numbers for myself."
On Saturday, bidders were treated to a complimentary draw on plate J468.
In October 2016, Indian businessman Balwinder Sahani created history when he bought the number plate D5 for Dh33 million, which remains the most expensive number plate sold in Dubai.
Dhanusha Gokulan The resident transport and traffic expert, with a touch of music, culture, and youth. I report on everything from rent hikes to traffic jams, from 'most expensive' experiences to tallest buildings, from encouraging upcoming talents to camels laughing. I've been a journalist for seven years and I am ridiculously passionate about music, books, internet memes, Facebook procrastination, and the occasional sport activity (candycrush).
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