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UAE sets records for multimillion-dollar license plate auctions

Jan 8, 2025, 8:34am EST
gulfMiddle East
A license plate auction in the UAE.
Emirates News Agency
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The News

If you’re cruising through Dubai and spot the license plate BB55, there’s a good chance it costs more than the car.

Premium number plates, once thought to be a fad (present company included), are anything but.

Dubai’s 177th auction pulled in a record 81 million dirhams ($22 million), with BB55 alone fetching 6.3 million dirhams.

That’s not even close to the most expensive plate ever — P7 sold for $15 million in 2023. Proceeds go to charity, so when you spot one of these special plates, you can marvel at the price tag and respect the good deed.

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