Abu Dhabi car owners buy expensive number plates

Car owners from the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi seem to have a special interest in expensive number plates with a list compiled by an independent dealer showing they account for 37 of the top 50 dearest plates ever sold.

According to Regtransfers website, the UK's independent dealer in personalised number plates, Abu Dhabi dominates a global list of the most expensive car number plates ever sold.

The 37 Abu Dhabi buyers listed in the rankings collectively spent $60.6 million (222.9 million dirhams), or an average of $1.6 million (6 million dirhams) for their car plates, the website said.

On top of the countdown to the top 20 plates ever sold was plate number 24, which was sold to an Abu Dhabi buyer at a cost of $871,174 million (3.2 million dirhams).

Plate 33, which attracted a buyer from Hong Kong, cost $900,977 (7 million Hong Kong dollars) while Plate 19, again bought by Abu Dhabi, cost $912,010 (3.35 million dirhams).