Gulf Arab Culture:
What’s in a number? Loads of money.

A sports car parked in Dubai, UAE An interesting feature of life in the Gulf countries is Arab vanity license plate numbers. It's a phenomenon not only in the Gulf, but particularly in the Gulf it's a huge thing. If you are well-to-do and buy an amazing, expensive car - that's not enough! Your car won't be worth that much unless you slap an exclusive number plate.

There are many auctions taking place where you can buy special number plates - the smaller the number, the bigger the boss you are :-))

The interesting thing is that not only Arabs are into such special numbers. A few years back an Indian businessman created history when he bought the number plate D-5 for Dh33 million (about US$ 9 million), which is still the most expensive number plate in Dubai.

By the way, the guy speaks Gulf Arabic (wink wink). Check his interview with Al Rai Kuwaiti channel.

(1) أرقام لوحات مميزة
argaam looHaat mumayyaza - special number plates
where
مميزة
mumayyaza - special (fem.)

لوحات
looHat - plates (also boards, paintings)
رقم
ragm - number (plural: أرقام argaam)


Usually you would just say 'car numbers' instead of 'number plates':

(2) أرقام سيارات مميزة
argaam sayyaaraat mumayyaza - special car numbers

Please share with anybody who would benefit from this.


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