Dubai Number Plate Price Guide 2026: What Every Code and Digit Count Actually Costs

Before looking at specific numbers, you need to understand the mechanics. Every Dubai plate consists of two elements: a letter code (one or two characters) and a number with one to five digits. That is all. There are no vanity letter combinations, no custom text, no colour choices. The system is elegantly simple, and it is precisely that simplicity that makes the pricing logic so transparent.

Scarcity is mathematical and permanent. Per letter code, there are exactly 9 single-digit plates (1 through 9), 90 two-digit plates (10 through 99), 900 three-digit plates (100 through 999), 9,000 four-digit plates, and 90,000 five-digit plates. RTA cannot create more single-digit plates. It cannot expand the two-digit pool. Supply is fixed by arithmetic, and it is never increasing. That is why digit count is the most reliable price predictor in the system: the fewer the digits, the higher the value. Always. The VIP pricing guide covers the top three tiers in granular detail.

To put the scarcity in perspective: across all 35 active codes in Dubai, there are only 315 single-digit plates in the entire emirate. There are 3,150 two-digit plates. There are 31,500 three-digit plates. Meanwhile, there are over three million five-digit plates. A single-digit plate is almost 10,000 times rarer than a five-digit plate. The market prices that scarcity accordingly.

RTA introduced letter codes sequentially as the population grew and registration volumes required additional capacity. Code A was the first. Then B. Then C, D, and so on through the full 26-letter alphabet (with minor exceptions). After exhausting single letters, RTA added double-letter codes: AA, BB, CC, DD, EE, FF, HH, II, and MM. The Codes A to Z guide covers each letter’s history and value positioning.

Earlier codes carry heritage value. Code A plates have been on Dubai roads since the registration system began. A three-digit plate on code A trades at a fundamentally different level than the same number on code X, which was introduced decades later. Among double-letter codes, the four premium doubles (AA, BB, CC, DD) have established themselves as the highest-value tier in the current market. Six of the eight most expensive plates sold at standard auctions in 2025 carried double-letter codes. DD has been exclusively featured at the Most Noble Number charity auction, where 14 DD plates sold across 2025 and 2026 for a combined AED 157.4 million. The complete double-letter guide breaks down the hierarchy with code-by-code data.

Within any given digit count and code, certain number patterns trade above others. Repeating digits (777, 888, 999, 11111) carry premiums because of visual symmetry and cultural significance. BB 777 sold for AED 6 million at the 119th auction. Sequential numbers (123, 1234) attract younger buyers who value clean logic. Mirror patterns and palindromes (1221, 5005, 12321) appeal to collectors who prize visual balance. Culturally weighted numbers trade on emotional resonance: 7 and 8 are considered lucky, 9 carries connotations of longevity, and 786 holds deep religious significance in Islamic tradition. Round numbers (100, 500, 1000, 5000) trade above irregular combinations because they are easier to remember and display with authority. Generic random numbers (4,738 or 52,961) sit at the bottom of any given tier.

The table below synthesises data from six auctions (118th, 119th, and 120th RTA open auctions held at the Grand Hyatt and Hilton Al Habtoor City; the 2025 Most Noble Number at the Armani Hotel; the 2026 Most Noble Number at the Armani Hotel; and multiple RTA online auctions) alongside secondary market pricing from 60,000+ listings across LicensePlate.ae. The auction range reflects hammer prices at official events. The secondary market range reflects asking prices and completed private sales. The entry point is the approximate minimum you should expect to pay for a generic number on a mid-to-late alphabet code. The ceiling is the highest verified sale in that digit count.

Two important notes. First, charity auction prices (Most Noble Number) run 25% to 50% above standard auction prices for comparable plates. DD 100 sold for AED 5.1 million at the 2026 charity event; CC 100 sold for AED 4.21 million at the standard 120th auction three months earlier, a 21% gap. When using charity results as secondary market pricing anchors, adjust downward. Second, the secondary market typically adds a 10% to 20% convenience premium above the most recent comparable auction result. A plate that sells for AED 5 million at auction might list for AED 5.5 to AED 6 million on a marketplace because the buyer gets immediate availability without competitive bidding risk. Use the LicensePlate.ae calculator for an instant estimate on any specific plate.

There are 315 single-digit plates across all 35 active Dubai codes. Most will never appear at auction. Many have been held by the same families for decades. When one does surface, it becomes a headline event. P 7 at AED 55 million in April 2023 set a Guinness World Record and remains the most expensive plate ever sold globally. DD 6 at AED 37 million in March 2026 produced fireworks on the stage of the Armani Hotel and entered the all-time Dubai top four.

The pricing floor for single-digit plates on premium codes is now anchored above AED 33 million, based on two consecutive Most Noble Number results: DD 5 at AED 35 million (March 2025) and DD 6 at AED 37 million (March 2026). That is 5.7% year-over-year appreciation for comparable lots at the same annual event, same venue, same code. On mid-tier codes, single-digit plates still command AED 10 million to AED 25 million. D 5 sold for AED 33 million in 2016 (Balvinder Sahni). No. 9 sold for AED 25 million in 2015. AA 9 sold for AED 38 million in 2021, the highest double-letter single-digit sale on record.

If you are evaluating a single-digit plate for purchase or sale, these are your pricing anchors. The gap between #3 (AA 9 at AED 38 million) and #5 (DD 5 at AED 35 million) is only AED 3 million across a range that sits above AED 35 million. That compression tells you the market has reached a firm consensus on the value ceiling for single-digit plates on premium codes. The only plate that significantly broke above this ceiling is P 7, which benefits from the Guinness World Record distinction and the cultural weight of the number 7 on the original P code. For the complete all-time leaderboard including Abu Dhabi, read the most expensive plates article.

This is where the market has the most activity, the most data, and the clearest pricing patterns. Two-digit plates represent the sweet spot of the premium segment: scarce enough to command seven-figure prices (only 90 per code), but liquid enough that multiple lots appear at every major auction. Between April 2025 and March 2026, the LicensePlate.ae team tracked over twenty verified two-digit sales across six auction events. Here is what that data tells us.

BB is the most consistently traded premium double-letter code. Seven BB two-digit plates sold at standard RTA open auctions between April and December 2025, every single one above AED 6 million. BB 88 at AED 14 million (119th auction, September 2025) is the highest two-digit sale ever recorded at a standard RTA event. BB 12 at AED 9.66 million (120th auction, December 2025) was the top lot of the record-breaking AED 109 million evening. BB 20 at AED 7.52 million and BB 19 at AED 6.68 million (118th auction, April 2025) show that the BB two-digit floor sits around AED 6 million to AED 7 million even for mid-range two-digit numbers. If you own or are considering a BB two-digit plate, these results are your pricing anchors.

DD two-digit plates have appeared exclusively at the Most Noble Number charity auction. In 2025: DD 12 at AED 12.8 million, DD 77 at AED 12.6 million, DD 15 at AED 9.2 million, DD 24 at AED 6.3 million. In 2026: DD 16 at AED 9 million, DD 99 at AED 8.9 million, DD 25 at AED 6.4 million, DD 30 at AED 6.1 million. These figures carry a charity premium estimated at 25% to 50% above standard market value. To estimate secondary market pricing for DD two-digit plates, reduce these figures by roughly a quarter to a third. That places the estimated street value of a DD two-digit plate at AED 4 million to AED 9 million, which aligns closely with the BB two-digit range at standard auctions.

AA 25 sold for AED 8.04 million at the 120th open auction (December 2025). AA 707 sold for AED 3.31 million and AA 222 for AED 3.3 million at the 118th (April 2025). The sample is small but suggests that AA two-digit plates trade in the AED 7 million to AED 10 million range, comparable to mid-range BB results. The heritage value of the AA code (it was the first double-letter code introduced) carries weight, but the pricing has not yet separated from BB in the way single-digit AA 9 at AED 38 million separates from the broader field.

CC 22 sold for AED 8.35 million at the 118th auction (April 2025), topping the evening’s results. On single-letter codes, Y 31 reached AED 6.27 million and M 78 hit AED 6 million at the 119th auction (September 2025). These results prove that two-digit plates on non-premium codes can compete when the number itself carries appeal. Y 31 is a low two-digit number on a late-alphabet code; the digit count overcame the code’s limited heritage. M 78 benefited from the single-letter prestige of M and the clean two-digit combination. The takeaway: on any code, a well-patterned two-digit plate can break AED 6 million at a competitive auction.

Eighteen verified sales above AED 6 million in a single twelve-month period. That is the kind of pricing depth that buyers, sellers, and investors can build real decisions on. For the full analysis of the double-letter hierarchy, read the dedicated guide. For the BB 12 individual plate story, see the detailed report.

Three-digit plates sit at the intersection of prestige and relative accessibility. Nine hundred exist per code, offering a wider range of price points than the two-digit tier. The premium segment (double-letter codes, triple-repeat patterns, culturally significant numbers) competes directly with the lower end of two-digit pricing. The mid-range (early single-letter codes, appealing patterns) occupies the AED 300,000 to AED 1 million bracket. Generic three-digit plates on late-alphabet codes start around AED 100,000.

BB 777 sold for AED 6 million at the 119th auction. DD 100 and DD 999 each sold for AED 5.1 million at the 2026 Most Noble Number. CC 100 sold for AED 4.21 million at the 120th auction. These are the ceiling prices for three-digit plates, and every one of them carries either a premium double-letter code or a high-demand pattern (triple-seven, triple-nine, round hundred). The gap between DD 100 at AED 5.1 million (charity) and CC 100 at AED 4.21 million (standard) quantifies the charity premium at 21% for this specific comparison.

Three-digit plates on codes like A, B, D, G (early single-letter), and emerging doubles (EE, FF) with appealing patterns trade in this range. A plate like A 786 or B 999 carries both code prestige and number significance. AA 707 at AED 3.31 million and AA 222 at AED 3.3 million at the 118th auction show that even three-digit configurations on AA can reach the AED 3 million level when the pattern is right.

On mid-to-late single-letter codes (K, L, N, P, Q, R, S, T, U), generic three-digit plates (437, 651, 823) trade from AED 100,000 to AED 300,000. On late-alphabet codes (V, W, X, Y, Z), prices drop further into the AED 80,000 to AED 150,000 range. The 3-digit pricing guide covers this tier with additional pattern analysis and cultural significance data.

The majority of plate transactions in Dubai happen in the four and five-digit tiers. This is where first-time buyers start, where budget-conscious collectors build their portfolios, and where the market has the deepest liquidity. Four-digit plates (1000 through 9999) offer 9,000 possible numbers per code; five-digit plates offer 90,000. The sheer volume means there is always supply available, and prices reflect that abundance.

The range is wide because patterns matter enormously at this tier. A plate like BB 1234 or AA 7777 commands AED 200,000 to AED 500,000 on the strength of code prestige and pattern appeal. A generic four-digit plate on a late code (X 4738, Z 5192) trades from AED 15,000 to AED 40,000. Year plates (2024, 2025, 2026) carry premiums from buyers who want to mark a birth year or milestone: expect AED 30,000 to AED 80,000 depending on code. Ferrari or Porsche model numbers (458, 911, 992) attract niche buyers willing to pay AED 50,000 to AED 200,000 for the right combination. DD 7000 at AED 2 million (Most Noble Number 2026) is the absolute ceiling for four-digit plates, inflated by both the DD code and the charity premium.

This is the entry tier. RTA’s fixed-price system offers five-digit plates on late-alphabet codes starting from AED 2,000 to AED 5,000. Through the secondary market, prices range from AED 3,000 to AED 10,000 for generic numbers and up to AED 30,000 to AED 50,000 for five-digit repeating patterns (11111, 22222, 77777) on early codes. DD 22222 at AED 1.9 million (Most Noble Number 2026) is an extreme outlier driven by the five-digit repeating pattern on the DD charity code. No standard five-digit plate will approach that figure.

For buyers seeking the most affordable entry, filter by price on the Dubai plates page or browse the Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Ajman emirate pages where entry-level pricing is even lower. Codes X, Y, Z, and the emerging double-letter codes (EE, FF, HH, II, MM) offer the lowest starting points. The HH and MM codes guide covers what these newer codes are worth now and where they could go.

The letter on your plate acts as a multiplier. The same number on two different codes can produce a 5 to 10 times price difference. A two-digit plate on code BB might trade at AED 7 million; the exact same number on code X might sell for AED 500,000. Understanding the code hierarchy is essential for pricing any plate accurately.

These codes command the highest baseline values across every digit count. The heritage single-letter codes (A through G) were the first issued and carry decades of road presence. The premium double-letter codes (AA, BB, CC, DD) have become the dominant force at auctions since 2023. BB alone produced seven verified sales above AED 6 million across three standard auctions in 2025. DD has generated AED 157.4 million from 14 plates across two Most Noble Number events. AA carries the weight of being the first double-letter code. CC delivered the top lot at the 118th auction (CC 22 at AED 8.35 million). If you own a plate on any of these codes, you hold a premium asset.

These codes have established secondary markets and occasionally break into the premium zone when the number is right. M 78 at AED 6 million and Y 31 at AED 6.27 million (both from the 119th auction) demonstrate that a low-digit-count plate can compete with premium codes when the bidding gets competitive. Code P carries special prestige because of the P 7 world record. Three-digit plates on mid-tier codes range from AED 150,000 to AED 800,000. Two-digit plates range from AED 1 million to AED 6 million. This tier offers the best value-to-prestige ratio in the market.

Introduced most recently, these codes carry minimal heritage premium. Five-digit plates start from AED 2,000 to AED 5,000. Four-digit plates from AED 15,000 to AED 80,000. Three-digit plates from AED 80,000 to AED 300,000. These codes are where first-time buyers typically enter the market, and they offer genuine value for anyone who cares more about the number itself than the letter code.

Not yet featured at any major auction. Secondary market data is thin. Four and five-digit plates on these codes represent the cheapest path into the double-letter tier: AED 3,000 to AED 20,000. These codes are a speculative play. If RTA begins featuring them at open auctions or if collector demand picks up as the double-letter narrative matures, prices could rise significantly from current levels. The HH and MM guide covers the investment thesis.

The data across the last three years tells one story: demand for Dubai plates is accelerating. Not gradually. Not incrementally. Revenue has more than doubled in the space of two years, and every successive record has been broken within months of being set.

RTA open auction revenue grew from AED 51.2 million (December 2023) to AED 109 million (December 2025): a 113% increase in two years. The 118th auction set the record at AED 98.83 million. Five months later, the 119th achieved AED 97.95 million. Three months after that, the 120th broke through AED 109 million. Each event has been larger than the last, and the buyer pool is expanding, not contracting.

At the 118th auction, the nominal value of all 90 lots was AED 16.565 million. The final tally was AED 98.83 million. That means bidders collectively paid nearly six times the opening value. Khaleej Times called it an "all-time record," and it was. Until the 120th auction broke it seven months later. For the complete auction calendar with confirmed and projected 2026 dates, see the dedicated article. The 121st open auction is expected in April 2026.

If you own a plate and want to know what it is worth, or if you are considering buying and want to check whether the asking price is fair, follow this process.

Find your digit count and code tier from the sections above. A BB two-digit plate puts you in the premium two-digit bracket: AED 6 million to AED 14 million at auction. A three-digit plate on code T puts you in the entry-level three-digit bracket: AED 80,000 to AED 300,000. A five-digit plate on code Z puts you in the absolute entry tier: AED 2,000 to AED 5,000.

Use the auction tables in Sections 3 through 5 to find the most recent verified sale for a plate with a similar code, similar digit count, and similar number pattern. If your plate is BB 15, the closest comps are BB 12 at AED 9.66 million and BB 19 at AED 8.76 million. If your plate is CC 456, the closest comp is CC 100 at AED 4.21 million (adjust down for the generic number versus the round hundred).

Three adjustments. If your comp was a charity auction (Most Noble Number), subtract 25% to 50% to estimate standard market value. If you are pricing for the secondary market (private sale or marketplace listing), add 10% to 20% above the most recent standard auction result. If the number has special pattern appeal (repeating, sequential, culturally significant), add 10% to 30% above a generic number on the same code and digit count.

For an instant automated estimate, run your plate through the LicensePlate.ae plate calculator. If you are ready to sell, list it for free on the marketplace. If you are buying, browse 60,000+ listings across all seven emirates. For guidance on the transaction process: how to buy, how to sell, how to transfer, costs and fees. For expat-specific eligibility, scam prevention, and verification, each topic has a dedicated guide. The FAQ Hub answers 50 additional questions across buying, selling, pricing, transfers, auctions, investment, and legal topics.

The pricing data in this guide is not compiled from news headlines. It comes from being in the room. The LicensePlate.ae team attended the 2026 Most Noble Number auction at the Armani Hotel inside Burj Khalifa. We tracked the bidding on every DD lot. We watched DD 6 climb past AED 30 million while confetti cannons loaded on either side of the stage. We observed BB 88 break AED 14 million at the Grand Hyatt Dubai in September 2025, and we were in the Hilton Al Habtoor City when BB 12 topped the 120th auction in December.

That firsthand observation shapes the plate calculator, the 60,000+ listings in the marketplace, and the pricing analysis across the entire blog library. When a number crosses a threshold that no published result captures, like the specific moment a second bidder dropped out of the DD 6 race at AED 34 million, that context informs how we advise buyers and sellers.

If you are buying, selling, or simply tracking this market, this guide is your starting point. Use the calculator for instant valuations. Browse the marketplace to see what is available right now. List your own plate for free if you are considering a sale. For VIP mobile numbers, visit MobileNumber.ae. The data in this guide will be updated after each subsequent RTA auction.

From AED 2,000 for a standard five-digit plate on a late-alphabet code to AED 55 million for P 7 (the Guinness World Record holder, sold in April 2023). Typical ranges: five-digit (AED 2,000–50,000), four-digit (AED 15,000–500,000), three-digit (AED 100,000–6,000,000), two-digit (AED 1,000,000–14,000,000), single-digit (AED 10,000,000–55,000,000). The exact price depends on the letter code, the number pattern, and whether you are buying at auction or on the secondary market.

Five-digit plates on codes X, Y, Z, or the emerging double-letter codes (EE, FF, HH, II, MM) start from AED 2,000 to AED 5,000 through RTA’s fixed-price system. On the secondary market through LicensePlate.ae, comparable plates list from AED 3,000 to AED 10,000.

DD for single-digit charity sales (DD 6 at AED 37 million). BB for standard auction volume (BB 88 at AED 14 million, the highest two-digit standard auction sale on record). AA for the all-time double-letter single-digit record (AA 9 at AED 38 million). P for the global record (P 7 at AED 55 million).

AED 100,000 to AED 6 million depending on code and pattern. Premium double-letter codes with appealing patterns (BB 777 at AED 6 million, DD 100 at AED 5.1 million, CC 100 at AED 4.21 million) sit at the top. Generic three-digit plates on late-alphabet codes start around AED 80,000 to AED 150,000.

Premium plates have shown consistent appreciation. RTA open auction revenue grew 113% from December 2023 to December 2025. Single-digit DD plates appreciated 5.7% year-over-year (DD 5 at AED 35M in 2025, DD 6 at AED 37M in 2026). Mid-range and lower-end plates may not appreciate at the same rate; late-code five-digit plates may remain flat.

Yes. Typically 25–50% above standard auction prices. The most precise comparison: DD 100 sold for AED 5.1 million at the 2026 charity auction; CC 100 sold for AED 4.21 million at the standard 120th RTA auction three months earlier. That is a 21% gap. Factor this when using Most Noble Number results as pricing benchmarks.

5% VAT on original purchases from RTA (auctions and fixed-price sales). Zero capital gains tax on resale profits. Zero annual holding fees. Zero wealth tax. No additional VAT on private person-to-person transfers through the secondary market. This makes UAE plates one of the lowest-friction luxury assets globally.

Use the LicensePlate.ae plate calculator for an instant automated estimate. Then cross-reference against the closest comparable sale in the auction tables in this guide. Browse similar listings on the marketplace to see current asking prices from other sellers.

Three routes: RTA auctions (open hall at luxury hotels, online for seven days), RTA fixed-price listings through the website, and the secondary market on LicensePlate.ae (60,000+ listings, free seller listings, plate calculator, verified buyer/seller connections). For VIP mobile numbers, visit MobileNumber.ae.