'My Passion Is Making Money': Meet Dubai Billionaire Who Owns VIP Number Plates That Cost More Than His Luxury Cars

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Published: Thu 26 Oct 2023, 6:00 AM

The Dubai-based billionaire Balvinder Singh Sahni – popularly known as Abu Sabah – is known for his love for uber-luxury cars and costly number plates. He hit the headlines in 2016 when he bought a '5' car number plate for a mammoth Dh33 million. Interestingly, the total value of dozens of Dubai and Abu Dhabi VIP number plates that the RSG Group chairman owns is much more than that of the Rolls-Royces and other high-end cars he owns.

“I have dozens of VIP car number plates but I don't want to disclose. I have both Dubai 5 and Abu Dhabi 5. These are the most expensive number plates I own. All of my number plates are much more than Dh100 million. The total cost of the VIP number plates is higher than the value of the cars I have. I don't know the exact number of cars, thanks to the blessing of God and my mother's prayers,” the Dubai-based billionaire tells Khaleej Times in an interview in his uber-luxury majlis - dotted with gold-plated and branded interiors on Palm Jumeirah.

'Dubai 5' is his favourite number plate that he uses quite often when driving around the city.

Why spend millions on VIP plates?

Sahni, who is often dressed in blue-collar Arabic dress, doesn't like to do as others do.

“When I came to Dubai, I had many Rolls-Royce cars but then I realised that every house has a Roll-Royce. If I have two, they have three. The story for numbers started in 2006 when I went to an ultra-luxury hotel and they didn't let me in. They asked 'Do you have a reservation or staying here'. I said I just come to visit the hotel. They said you can't enter without reservation unless you have a 2-digit number plate. So I went to the auction and bought 3 number plates for Dh2.8 [million] each,” he says, smiling.

'A number man'

Abu Sabah considers the number 9 and the colour blue lucky.“I sign mostly with a blue pen. There's no black pen in my office," he says.

Abu Sabah was always a number man. Before relocating to Dubai in 2006, Abu Sabah lived in Kuwait. Over 20 years ago, he bought the most expensive mobile number in the country for Dh600,000. At the time, it was the talk of the town.

He was very close to the royals there as well.

“It was a very hard decision [to move to Dubai] because I was very respected in Kuwait. I have a lot of friends there, including royals. When I came to Dubai, it was a different ballgame,” he adds.

Passion for money

Abu Sabah gets up at 6am and walks for one hour. Then, he visits his sites before heading to the main office. He also visits government offices for meetings before he comes to his home. His meetings with his business partners go on until midnight.

He loves what he does. That is what keeps him charged. Therefore, he is never bored. The billionaire doesn't talk about politics, he only talks about things he is passionate about. Known for his consistency among his colleagues, he does not waste his energy on anything he deems boring or negative.

The billionaire has just one passion.“It is making money," he says.

ALSO READ:

• Visions of the future automobile: past and present

• Inside the life of real estate agents in Dubai: Midnight calls, relentless hustle, high stake windfalls

• Essential features for parents to look out for before buying a vehicle

MENAFN25102023000049011007ID1107307110