Personalised Number Plates For Dubai

Transport bosses in Dubai are looking into rolling out a personalised registration plate system for drivers in the emirate.

The RTA already auctions off a range of distinctive numbers, such as ‘K111’ or ‘K20’, raising millions of dirhams a year.

However, Ahmed Hashim Bahrozyan, CEO of the Licensing Agency at the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), told 7DAYS they are now considering a system where people could choose the letters and numbers they want. He said interest in personalised number plates has grown in recent years and the agency was now looking at various options to satisfy that demand. “We are studying the possibility of introducing some form of personalisation for plates that will conform with the existing licensing system,” Bahrozyan said.

“We want to give our clients various options as the demand for specialised number plates continues to grow.” His comments come as the RTA yesterday began auctioning off a series of registrations for M-coded plates.

Such sales, which take place several times a year, raise about Dhs70 million annually. Bahrozyan said originally it was mainly Emiratis who favoured the plates but interest from the expat community is on the rise. He added that many of them are now looking for a greater form of personalisation similar to systems in other countries.

Dubai-based businessman Aqela Sayed bought the E-15 number plate for Dhs3.12 million a few months ago. He welcomed the idea of ordering personalised plates and said owning special plates was popular within the Emirati community. “It is a good idea to allow people to choose what they wish to print on their number plates,” said Sayed.

“This will open up more options for number plate buyers and also people who want their cars to be unique.” Bahrozyan said the logistics of introducing new registrations were still being worked out but it would likely be done in phases and the text on the registrations would be restricted, taking into consideration cultural and religious sensitivities.