‘UAE 50’ Private Number Plate Set to Break UK Record Price

The unique registration is attracting a lot of interest from investors and collectors, and experts are predicting that the plate could break the world record for a UK private registration number.

The current anonymous owner of ‘UAE 50’ has the plate displayed on an electric Porsche Taycan. He bought the plate in 2020 for an undisclosed sum, having sensed that it could be a great investment opportunity. The distinctive plate is being sold through a UK dealer where potential buyers can make an offer, which will be kept confidential.

It is anticipated that wealthy UAE residents, many of whom keep luxury cars in London, will be keen to get their hands on the plate, especially in view of the UAE’s golden jubilee celebrations. ‘UAE 50’ was first issued by Bristol County Borough Council in January 1955, which makes the plate almost 17 years older than the UAE which was founded in December 1971.

In a press release, UAE-based author and motoring historian Mohammed Luqman Ali Khan said, “UAE 50 is a very special number plate and this is a fantastic opportunity to acquire a historic British number plate. The timing of its surfacing assumes significance as the UAE is celebrating its golden jubilee which has been declared as ‘Year of the 50th’. It would be wonderful to see someone from the UAE acquire this truly remarkable plate, very aptly in this landmark year of the golden jubilee and Dubai EXPO 2020."

Personalised Number Plates Are Big Business in UAE

The rich residents of the Emirates are prepared to pay big money for distinctive number plates. Of the bids for the world’s top 10 most expensive private plates, nine have come from Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Single digit number plates are particularly sought after as they indicate that the owner is part of an elite circle of wealthy members.

Abu Dhabi and Dubai plates ‘9’, ‘7’ and ‘2’ were bought for between £4.3 and £2 million. In 2016, the Dubai plate ‘5’ was sold for £6.5 million. So far, the highest price paid for a plate was £7.2 million for ‘UAE AD 1’ in 2008. But even that could be eclipsed by bids for ‘UAE 50’.

The UK hasn’t seen such huge prices for private number plates — yet! A Ferrari specialist paid £518,480 for ‘25 O’, making it Britain’s most expensive registration number. However, entrepreneur Afzal Khan claims to have rejected an offer of £10 million for his prized ‘F1’ number plate in 2018.

Private Number Plates to Suit Your Budget

The prices paid for personalised number plates in the UAE are staggering, but you don’t need that kind of money to invest in a private plate. At CarReg, we have over 60 million available number plates with something to suit every budget. The sales of private number plates are booming and values consistently rise, so whatever plate you buy could turn out to be a wise investment.