Dubai: First batch of Dubai’s new look number plates with an ‘AA’ code went under the hammer on Saturday evening with plate number AA10 going for Dh3.12 million.
The Roads and Transport Authority’s (RTA) last open auction of the year saw the launch of ‘AA’ codes along with the number plates with a new design.
The 10 plates that were grabbed on Saturday will be the only ‘AA’ code plates in Dubai for 12 months, with the RTA offering the buyers an exclusivity for the price they pay.
“This was the last auction of 2017 and it’s a special auction and we had only 10 numbers which are part of the new generation of plates with double code. We want to give a sort of exclusivity to those who have bought these plates, so we will ensure that the AA code plates are not sold for the 12 months,” said Ahmad Hashem Behroozian, speaking to Gulf News, during the auction at Westin Hotel.
RTA generated revenue of Dh12.3 million through the auction of 10 special plates, with three plates breaking the million barrier.
A Dubai based businessman Majid Mustafa grabbed the plate number AA10 for Dh3.12 million, while plate numbers AA12 and AA50 went for Dh2.72 million and 1.84 million respectively to unknown buyers.
Plate number AA11111 was the only other to break the million barrier going for Dh1.21 million.
The other numbers that were up for grabs included AA786 sold for 450,000, AA8888 went for 500,000, AA55555 sold for 670,000, AA 1000 went for 630,000, AA333 sold for 700,000 and AA100 bagged 910,000.
According to Behroozian all of Dubai’s future plates will have double letter codes, with the first batch having AA.
“Although we still have a huge stock of single code numbers, which would last for many more years, but we are slowly running out of the distinguished high value single code numbers and that would affect our ability to provide high value numbers for those buyers who are always looking for distinguished plate numbers,” added Behroozian.
He said that different options were discussed for the new generations of plates and the RTA’s experts finally chose the double codes, starting with AA and going on with other letters.
