Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) held its 121st open number plate auction on Saturday at the Hilton Dubai Al Habtoor City, offering 60 distinctive plates across ten codes — AA, BB, CC, H, U, V, W, X, Y and Z — in two-, three-, four- and five-digit combinations. The event closed with total sales of Dh65.721 million.
The top lot was plate CC44, which sold for Dh6.72 million, narrowly ahead of BB18 at Dh6.62 million. BB80 followed at Dh5.9 million, while BB117 rounded out the top four at just over Dh1 million. The tight margin between the leading plates points to sustained bidding right up to the close of the auction.
Personalised plates have long been a prized category in the UAE, particularly short combinations pairing repeated letters with low digit counts. Collectors and car enthusiasts frequently treat these plates as more than a personal accessory — many regard them as a store of value, with resale prices for sought-after combinations climbing steadily over recent years.
In a statement, the RTA reiterated its commitment to "neutrality, transparency and equal opportunities for participants" in how it structures these recurring auctions. Proceeds from plate sales form part of the funding stream the authority channels into Dubai's transport infrastructure projects. The scale of Saturday's results — with four plates alone accounting for roughly Dh20 million — underscores how strong demand for exclusive registration numbers remains in the emirate's market.