Dubai RTA number plate auction hits record $30m as BB12 sells for $2.6m

Dubai RTA’s 120th number plate auction sets a new record, raising $29.7m, with BB12 selling for $2.6m

Dubai appetite for distinctive vehicle number plates has reached a new high, with the Roads and Transport Authority recording its strongest-ever auction result as total proceeds surpassed AED109m ($29.7m).

According to Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), the 120th open auction of distinctive vehicle number plates, held on December 27, generated AED109,026,000 ($29.7m), marking the highest revenue since the auctions were launched.

Record Dubai number plate auction

Plate number BB12 achieved the highest price of the night, selling for AED9.66m ($2.63m). It was followed by:

• AA25 at AED8.04m ($2.19m)
• BB30 at AED6.74m ($1.84m)
• CC100 at AED 4.21m ($1.15m)

RTA said the results highlight the success of its strategy for managing both open and electronic auctions, which is built on neutrality and transparency while ensuring equal opportunities for all participants seeking to acquire distinctive number plates that carry symbolic value for their owners.

A total of 90 distinctive plates were offered, covering two-, three-, four- and five-digit numbers from the codes AA, BB, CC, K, N, O, R, T, U, V, W, X, Y and Z.

Sales were subject to a 5 per cent value-added tax. To participate, customers were required to:

• Hold a traffic file in the Emirate of Dubai
• Submit a security cheque payable to RTA for AED25,000 ($6,810)
• Pay a non-refundable participation fee of AED120 ($33) at Customer Happiness Centres

RTA also enabled payment by credit card through its website, broadening access to the auction.