My Business: Dubai entrepreneur turns childhood fascination with number plates into a venture

Dubai: Hassan Shehada is part of a new wave of young UAE entrepreneurs who are turning personal interests into ventures. Raised in the UAE and familiar with the strong car culture around him, he saw early on how number plates carried meaning and value for many residents. That observation eventually pushed him to start PlatePros with his partner Ahmed Al Nasser, not as a tech play or a trading platform, but as a way to understand a market they had both grown up around.

For co-founder Hassan Shehada, the starting point was simple insight. Many residents saw plates as symbols of identity, but few understood the mechanics behind their value. “PlatePros was born out of a shared passion between my partner Ahmed Al Nasser and me. We have always viewed car plate numbers as more than just identifiers. In the UAE, they represent individuality, pride, and even memories,” he said. “We realised many people did not truly understand their value, both emotionally and as an investment.”

What began as a small Instagram page quickly turned into a fast-growing marketplace. Within months, the founders built a community of buyers, collectors and investors who wanted a clear way to assess plate value and follow market trends. Shehada said the early validation surprised even them. “Our biggest success has been turning a niche concept into a recognised brand within months. We started with a simple Instagram page, and today we have built a strong community of buyers, collectors, and investors who now see plates as real assets.”

The early months brought the usual startup hurdles. Buyers were enthusiastic but unsure how to assess whether a plate was rare, fairly priced or likely to appreciate. Shehada said the team spent significant time educating users about scarcity patterns, historical sales and how to navigate auctions. “Like any startup, our main challenge was educating people about the long-term value of number plates. We also faced pricing and sourcing challenges at the beginning,” he said. “But every hurdle helped us learn the market better, refine our approach, and build more transparency with our clients.”

Dubai’s business environment helped them find their footing quickly. Shehada said the city’s infrastructure and entrepreneurial ecosystem were ideal for a concept like PlatePros. “The UAE has been the perfect home for PlatePros. From the ease of setting up a business to the supportive entrepreneurial community and digital ecosystem, everything around us encourages innovation,” he said.

The appeal of Dubai as a launchpad was also cultural. “Dubai is a city that thrives on innovation, ambition, and luxury. It is also one of the few places where number plates hold emotional, cultural, and financial value,” Shehada said. The city’s car culture and appetite for exclusivity made it the natural market for a platform that blends lifestyle with investment logic.

PlatePros began with personal savings and grew deliberately rather than aggressively. “We started with personal savings and grew organically by reinvesting profits,” Shehada said. Gradually, the platform added an investor model where PlatePros manages portfolios, advising clients on plates that align with current and emerging trends. “We help them choose the right plates that align with market trends, ensuring a healthy and sustainable return on investment,” he said.

The founders’ backgrounds complement the business. Shehada comes from PR and communications within the luxury and automotive sector, while his partner Al Nasser brings experience from the real estate industry. Combined, they positioned PlatePros as a hybrid lifestyle-investment platform rather than a trading page.

Shehada said the journey came with its share of uncertainty. There were moments when the temptation to return to a predictable job lingered, especially when early results were slow. “There were moments of doubt, especially in the early stages when results took time,” he said. “But every time someone reached out saying they loved what we are doing, or every successful deal closed, it reminded us why we started.”

Looking ahead, PlatePros wants to build the leading digital marketplace for plate trading across the GCC. The focus is on creating a user-friendly platform with reliable data tools, valuation markers and automated insights. “In five years, we see PlatePros becoming the leading digital platform for buying, selling, and investing in car plates across the GCC,” Shehada said.

His advice to aspiring entrepreneurs comes from the same disciplined mindset that shaped PlatePros. “Start even when things are not perfect. There is never a right time to begin, but there is always a right reason,” he said. “Consistency and adaptability will take you further than perfection ever will.”