The majority of people will not give a second thought to a licence plate number that is typically randomly generated and comes free with their car.
But others would pay millions to acquire special or personalised licence plates and regard them as a statement of individuality or an investment.
Here’s a round-up of the world’s 10 most expensive licence plates, many of which changed hands in the UAE.
1. F1 - Dh167.94m ($45m)
In 2008, car designer Afzal Kahn bought this plate, which was registered in 1904 by Essex County Council in England, for £440,000 ($573,640). He has turned down several multi-million-dollar offers for the plate and is not looking to sell it, “unless there is an absolutely incredible offer”, his website says. It is listed on the number plate supplier website Regtransfers for $45.72 million.
2. MM - Dh89.2m ($18.1m)
Attempting to make its way into the record books as the most expensive sold is the California plate MM, which is on sale for 5,888 ether - currently estimated at Dh89.2m ($18.1m).
This two-character plate is rare not only because it is one of only 35 two-letter plates, but also because the two are the same.
It comes with the added bonus of buying its matching NFT.
3. New York - Dh73.4m ($20m)
The only street-legal 'New York' plate in existence has been with the same family since the 1970s. The unnamed seller posted the plate and the Volvo V70 vehicle attached to which it is attached for sale on luxury classifieds website duPont Registry with a $20m price tag.
4. 1 - Dh52.2m ($14.2m)
In 2008, Abu Dhabi businessman Saeed Khouri paid 50 times the opening Dh1m bid at a charity auction in the emirate. At the time, he said the plate would be for personal use.
5. AA9 - Dh38m ($10.3m)
The AA9 number plate was one of four that were auctioned at the Most Noble Numbers sale in May last year.
The charity auction by Dubai emirate's Roads and Transports Authority was selling rare number plates and mobile numbers to raise money for the 100 Million Meals campaign.
The AA9 plate was sold for Dh38m after some fierce bidding, while three other plates – U31, T38 and E51 – raised Dh6.85m.
6. AA8 - Dh35m ($9.5m)
The AA8 number plate, a new entry to the list, was sold for Dh35m at the Most Noble Numbers auction on Saturday to raise funds for the One Billion Meals campaign.
7. D5 - Dh33m ($8.9m)
In 2016, Dubai-based Indian businessman Balvinder Sahni paid Dh33m for plate D5 at an RTA auction for one of his Rolls-Royce cars.
8. 5 - Dh25.2m ($6.8m)
Emirati businessman Talal Ali Khouri bought the No 5 plate for Dh25.2m at an auction in Abu Dhabi in 2007. He also bought the No 7 plate at the same auction for Dh11m. News agency Wam reported at the time that both plates were worth almost 10 times the value of the luxury cars they were placed on.
9. O9 - Dh24.5m ($6.8m)
In 2015, Balvinder Sahni successfully bid Dh24.5m for plate O9, and subsequently gave it to a charity that was building a children’s hospital, he told The National in an interview.
10. 7 - Dh13.4m ($3.9m)
In 2016, an unnamed Emirati businessman bought plate No 7 as he wanted to celebrate the seven emirates – and because it is a lucky number.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg
Ajax v Real Madrid, midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh960,000
Engine 3.9L twin-turbo V8
Transmission Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Power 661hp @8,000rpm
Torque 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.4L / 100k
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
INDIA SQUAD
Virat Kohli (capt), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Vijay Shankar, MS Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami
'The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey'
Rating: 3/5
Directors: Ramin Bahrani, Debbie Allen, Hanelle Culpepper, Guillermo Navarro
Writers: Walter Mosley
Stars: Samuel L Jackson, Dominique Fishback, Walton Goggins
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – UAE won by 36 runs
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
SHAITTAN
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Korean Film Festival 2019 line-up
Innocent Witness, June 26 at 7pm
On Your Wedding Day, June 27 at 7pm
The Great Battle, June 27 at 9pm
The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion, June 28 at 4pm
Romang, June 28 at 6pm
Mal Mo E: The Secret Mission, June 28 at 8pm
Underdog, June 29 at 2pm
Nearby Sky, June 29 at 4pm
A Resistance, June 29 at 6pm
I Care A Lot
Directed by: J Blakeson
Starring: Rosamund Pike, Peter Dinklage
3/5 stars
The Intruder
Director: Deon Taylor
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Michael Ealy, Meagan Good
One star
Rocketman
Director: Dexter Fletcher
Starring: Taron Egerton, Richard Madden, Jamie Bell
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Pakistan v New Zealand Test series
Pakistan: Sarfraz (c), Hafeez, Imam, Azhar, Sohail, Shafiq, Azam, Saad, Yasir, Asif, Abbas, Hassan, Afridi, Ashraf, Hamza
New Zealand: Williamson (c), Blundell, Boult, De Grandhomme, Henry, Latham, Nicholls, Ajaz, Raval, Sodhi, Somerville, Southee, Taylor, Wagner
Umpires: Bruce Oxerford (AUS) and Ian Gould (ENG); TV umpire: Paul Reiffel (AUS); Match referee: David Boon (AUS)
Tickets and schedule: Entry is free for all spectators. Gates open at 9am. Play commences at 10am
Company profile
Name: Oulo.com
Founder: Kamal Nazha
Based: Dubai
Founded: 2020
Number of employees: 5
Sector: Technology
Funding: $450,000
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
MOTHER%20OF%20STRANGERS
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