- Latest Dubai plate auction had the DD5 fetch Dh35 million (~$9.5 million USD).
- 13-year-old bidder secures DD24 plate for $1.8 million USD in unexpected youth participation.
- Charity auction raises total of $22.7 million USD for global healthcare initiatives.
In Dubai, extravagance knows no limits, and luxury isn’t just about the car you drive — it’s about the number on your plate. As it turns out, some of these prestigious plates are worth more than the supercars they’re mounted on, creating a unique collectors’ market that is distinctly Dubai.
The latest chapter in Dubai’s high-stakes luxury game took place at the ‘Most Noble Number’ auction, where collectors and businessmen battled over rare license plate numbers with the same intensity as an art auction at Christie’s. The most popular plate of the evening was the DD5 plate, which was sold for Dh35 million (~$9.5 million USD). The event was hosted at the Armani Dubai Hotel in Burj Khalifa and saw simple number sequences being sold like they were multi-million dollar treasures.
When Numbers Become Luxury Assets
The atmosphere at the Armani Dubai Hotel was filled with excitement as the auction that was organised by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) in partnership with Emirates Auction began.
The first item was the DD5 plate which started with a bid of Dh15 million. It led to an intense bidding war among over 20 eager participants and the winner was Muhammad BinGhatti, who is a real estate mogul known for his collaborations with Bugatti and Jacob & Co. and is also the Chairman of Binghatti Holding.
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But the most interesting part of the evening was perhaps the participation of a 13-year-old bidder named Abdulkader Walid Asaad. He wasn’t able to get the DD5 plate but he did manage to walk away with DD24 for $1.8 million USD and proved that in Dubai, luxury has no age limit.
Breaking Records for a Noble Cause
It wasn’t just the DD5 that made headlines. Other high-profile plates sold for equally large numbers: the DD12 secured $3.5 million USD, the DD77 went for $3.4 million USD, and the DD15 was bought for $2.5 million USD. Even a collection of 20 VIP mobile numbers brought in over $2 million, leading to the grand total of the auction being $22.7 million USD (~$36 million AUD)
This isn’t Dubai’s first rodeo in the world of record-breaking plate sales. In 2023, the city made history when the ‘P7’ plate was sold for approximately $15 million USD (~$24 million AUD) and set the world record for the most expensive plate ever auctioned.
But beyond the display of wealth and status, these auctions actually serve a noble purpose. All proceeds from such events go toward healthcare and humanitarian projects worldwide through the MBRGI initiative, showing that in Dubai, even the most extravagant exhibits of wealth can come with a philanthropic twist.
