Car License Plate Auction Sold for '20 Billion Won'... UAE's Highest Price Ever

Proceeds Will Be Used to Support Underprivileged Groups

A rare car license plate was sold for nearly 20 billion won at a charity auction held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

According to a report by the state-run WAM news agency on the 9th, during a charity auction held by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, in observance of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, the 'P7' license plate was sold for 55 million dirhams (approximately 19.75 billion won). The proceeds will be used to support underprivileged groups.

[Image source=Pixabay]

Car license plates issued by UAE authorities typically have five characters, and the fewer the digits, the more likely the vehicle belongs to royalty, high-ranking government officials, or wealthy individuals. At the event, rare license plates provided by the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), such as 'N4', 'AA19', 'AA22', 'AA80', 'O71', 'X36', and 'W78', were also auctioned. Additionally, popular mobile phone numbers with repeating digits were sold at the auction.

WAM explained that the 'P7' license plate sold at this auction is the most expensive vehicle license plate ever sold in the UAE. The previous record was the '1' license plate sold in Abu Dhabi at an auction in 2008 for about 18.7 billion won.

The agency reported that the total amount raised from the car license plate auction was 91.59 million dirhams (approximately 32.9 billion won).

Meanwhile, not only the UAE but also places like Hong Kong and Thailand raise funds through car license plate auctions. In February, a customized car license plate with the single letter 'R' was sold for 4.1 billion won at an auction in Hong Kong. This is the second-highest price ever recorded in Hong Kong’s customized car license plate auctions.

Previously, in March 2021, the 'W' license plate was sold for 26 million Hong Kong dollars (approximately 4.23 billion won), which is the highest price to date. At that time, the 'W' plate was sold for about 5,200 times its starting price. Hong Kong has been auctioning customized car license plates since 1973.

In the 2022 auction market in Thailand, a lucky car license plate symbolizing 'Bu' (富, wealth) was sold for over 60 million won. The license plate included the number 9, which is the most favored number among Thais, appearing four times.

The number 9 is pronounced 'kao,' which sounds similar to the verb 'kaona,' meaning 'to move forward' or 'to progress,' and is therefore considered a symbol of good luck. The license plate featured the number 9999 preceded by the word 'Ruey,' meaning 'wealthy' or 'rich.'

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.