Special car number plate auction generates Dh 76.2 mn

The first special car number plate auction in Abu Dhabi which conducted at the Emirates Palace Hotel on Saturday drew sales of Dh 76.2 million in the auctioning of 41 numbers.Organized by Abu Dhabi Police and sponsored by Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, the auction of five digits numbers was rated as resounding success as the single digit number 5 hit all world records for its was sold to local businessman Talal Khoury for Dh 25.2 million.The funds raised from the auction will be dedicated to projects for welfare of people with special needs and victims of road accidents.Brigadier Ahmed Al Raisi, Director of Central Operations, Abu Dhabi Police, said the auction had generated unprecedented success as some 700 bidders took part in it.''The high value of sales indicated the desire of bidders to support charity works, especially people with special needs,he added.Al Raisi announced that another auction will be conducted on June 5th where around 90 distinguished numbers, including the number 6 and 10, will come under the hammer.Organizer Emirates Auction Company affirmed that the digit number 5 which fetched Dh 25.2 has smashed all world records, becoming the world's highest value number plate. It explained that a number plate was sold in Britain in 1995 at Dh 2.5 million. Before three months, Dubai saw a purchase of number 15 for Dh 3.5 million.The minimum value of a number plate sold at the auction was Dh 102,000 offered for the number 99599.A number of Arab and foreign nationals were bidding for the special numbers. An Ukrainian citizen paid Dh 550,000 for the number 1001.The highest bidder, Talal Khoury, who also purchased the numbers 55,54 and 55555, said he did that to support charity works. Source