A Dubai number plate was sold for AED9.7 million ($2.6 million) at an auction to raise money for the UAE’s Reading Nation drive.
The R10 plate was the highest earner of five plates put up by the Roads and Transportation Authority (RTA) at an event that also saw plate T13 receive AED5million ($1.3m) and Q15 bring in AED4 million ($1m).
The number plate L22 received a bid of just over AED4 million, while O70 was snapped up for AED2.8 million ($760k). In total, RTA plates generated AED25.5 million ($6.9m).
A pure-breed Arabian mare put forward by the Dubai Arabian Horse Stud was sold for AED260,000 million ($70k).
Ten desirable phone numbers from Etisalat and du were also sold at the auction. Etisalat numbers generated AED4.2 million, with 0565555555 receiving just over AED2 million ($544k). Du numbers brought in AED2.5million, with the du number 0523333333 netting AED1.6million ($435k).
Total sales
The charity auction recorded a sell-out of all valuable items, achieving total sales of AED41 million ($11.1m). The campaign has now donated 7.3 million books, exceeding a donation target of five million books.
Other items included a 106-year-old piece of the Kaaba’s Kiswa donated by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, sold for AED2.1 million, two paintings by Emirati artist Abdul Qader Al Rais, which brought it AED 970,000, and a historic edition of the Quran, donated by Abdul Rahman bin Mohammed Al Owais, UAE Minister of Health and Prevention, which was sold for AED250,000.
“Today, we have exceeded our target by securing the funds needed to provide five million books to those who need them – four days ahead of the campaign’s deadline,” Mohammed Al Gergawi, secretary general of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, said in a statement.
“The auction has exceeded all expectations in terms of response from the Emirati society and people of the UAE. These donations will help us achieve a noble humanitarian mission that benefits people across the globe.
“The support of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to this charitable auction clearly reflects his personal involvement in every aspect of developing reading initiatives in Arab and Muslim countries. It also reiterates his keenness in launching knowledge initiatives to promote learning, spread a spirit of tolerance, and eliminate ignorance.”
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