Number plate ‘1’ fetches over Dh52m, enters Guinness Book

Number plate ‘1’ fetches over Dh52m, enters Guinness Book
By Adel Arafah (KHALEEJ TIMES Our staff reporter)17 February 2008

ABU DHABI - The coveted car plate number 1 set a new Guinness World Record by fetching a staggering Dh52.2 million at an auction held at the Emirates Palace Hotel in the capital on Saturday. It was bought by Emirati businessman Saeed Abdulghafar Khoury, who said that he insisted on bidding for the number despite fierce competition.

This he did in response to Minister of Interior Shaikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s announcement that the revenues of the auction would be used for establishing a centre for the rehabilitation of accident victims.

He said he will not sell the number plate 1.

A total of 90 car plate numbers auctioned last night yielded Dh89 million.

Number plate 1111 was sold for Dh2.32 million, number 96 for Dh2.5 million, number 32 for Dh2.5 million, number 100 for Dh2.82 million, number 51 for Dh2.15, number 78 for Dh2.04 million, and number 81 for Dh2 million.

Abdullah Matar Al Mannaei, Managing Director of Emirates Auction, said that the car plate number 1 has set a new Guinness World Record for being the most expensive car plate in the world. The last record was for the number plate (5), which was sold in the first auction for Dh25 millions.

He added that a team from the Guinness World Records and international news agencies were present at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi to cover the international event.