Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do I need approval to trade vehicle numbers?
Yes. This activity requires pre-approval from the Road and Transport Authority (RTA) before Meydan Free Zone can issue the business license. The licence also cannot be combined with other RTA activities except those in Group A.
2. How large is the Dubai plate auction market?
The RTA's 120th open auction in December 2025 generated AED 109,026,000, the highest total on record. Plate BB12 sold for AED 9.66 million from a catalogue of 90 plates.
3. Why do distinctive plates command such prices?
Value rests on scarcity and symbolism rather than function. Short digit counts, repeating patterns, and premium letter codes are limited in supply, and buyers attach personal or commemorative significance to specific numbers.
4. Is this activity subject to AML rules?
No. Activity 4690.93 is not subject to AML compliance requirements, though RTA pre-approval is mandatory and the Group A combination restriction applies.
5. Can I sell vehicles under this licence?
No. Selling motor vehicles falls under separate vehicle trading classifications. This activity covers the plates themselves as tradeable assets, independent of any vehicle.
6. Do plate sales attract VAT?
Yes. Sales of distinctive plates through the official auction system are subject to 5% value added tax, and bidders must hold a Dubai traffic file to participate.
How to Start a Vehicles Numbers Trading Business with Meydan Free Zone
Vehicles numbers trading covers the buying, selling, and brokering of distinctive vehicle registration plates. In Dubai these plates are treated as transferable assets with genuine secondary market value, driven by short digit counts, repeating patterns, and desirable letter codes. The trade sits between the official auction system and private owners, and value rests almost entirely on scarcity and symbolism rather than on any functional difference between one plate and another.
The scale of the official market is striking. The Roads and Transport Authority's 120th open auction of distinctive vehicle number plates, held in December 2025, generated AED 109,026,000, the highest revenue recorded in the history of these auctions.[1] Plate BB12 alone sold for AED 9.66 million, followed by AA25 at AED 8.04 million and BB30 at AED 6.74 million.[1]
Records have been broken repeatedly. The 118th auction in April 2025 reached approximately AED 100 million, and the 119th in September 2025 generated AED 97.95 million, with super plate BB88 alone taking AED 14 million.[2] Each auction typically offers around 90 plates across two to five digits, and all sales carry 5% VAT.[3]
A Plate Auction Market Setting Successive Records
A Dubai-licensed vehicles numbers trader operates alongside an official auction market where the Roads and Transport Authority's 120th open auction generated AED 109,026,000 in December 2025, the highest total on record, with a single plate selling for AED 9.66 million from a catalogue of just 90 plates.
Sources: RTA / WAM (2025), Gulf News / RTA (2025), Gulf Today / RTA (2025)
Who Is This Activity For?
4690.93 - Vehicles Numbers Trading
Activity 4690.93 sits within the broader class covering non-specialised wholesale trade. Within that class, this activity is the trading of vehicle registration numbers. It covers acquiring, holding, marketing, and reselling distinctive vehicle plates, and brokering transfers between private parties, in each case as tradeable assets rather than as part of a vehicle sale. Because the plates are issued and controlled by the transport regulator, the trade operates entirely within the official registration and transfer framework, and every transaction must be completed through the authority's own processes.
The trading range covers:
- Acquisition of distinctive plates through official auctions
- Resale of held plates to private buyers and collectors
- Brokerage between private sellers and buyers
- Valuation and pricing guidance on plate categories
- Management of transfer documentation through official channels
- Portfolio holding of short digit and repeating pattern plates
- Advisory on auction participation and bidding strategy
Service Scope
Short Digit & Super Plates
Two and three digit plates in premium letter codes, the highest value category and the one that drives headline auction results.
Repeating & Patterned Numbers
Plates with repeating digits or recognisable sequences, valued for symbolic significance and consistently competitive at auction.
Auction Acquisition Services
Participating in official open and electronic auctions on behalf of clients, including registration, deposit handling, and bidding.
Private Sale Brokerage
Matching owners looking to sell with buyers seeking specific numbers, and managing the negotiation and transfer through official channels.
Valuation & Portfolio Advisory
Advising owners and collectors on plate value, category demand, and timing of sale relative to the auction calendar.
WHAT THIS ACTIVITY EXCLUDES
It is important to note what activity 4690.93 does not cover. The sale of motor vehicles, whether new or used, falls under vehicle trading classifications. Vehicle registration services carried out on behalf of owners are a separate transport activity, as is the physical manufacture or fixing of number plates. Organising vehicle auctions, including through electronic platforms, is separately classified. This activity also cannot be combined with other activities regulated by the transport authority except those within its Group A.
In short: if you are buying, selling, or brokering distinctive vehicle plates as tradeable assets, you are in. If you are selling vehicles, providing registration services, manufacturing plates, or running vehicle auctions, you are not.
Licensing & Compliance
Third-Party Approval:
You need approval from the RTA (Road and Transport Authority) before your business license is issued. This activity cannot be combined with other RTA activities, only with RTA Group A.
Anti-Money Laundering Compliance:
This business activity is exempt from AML compliance requirement.
References
[1] WAM / Big News Network. (2025). RTA's 120th distinctive number plates auction tops AED109 million.
[2] Gulf News. (2025). Dubai's special number plate auction nets nearly Dh98 million.
[3] Gulf Today. (2025). Dubai RTA's 119th open auction for number plates generates Dhs98 million.
