RIYADH, 24 July 2006 — Consider it the Saudi version of how to get a personalized license plate: paying SR250,000 for a license plate that says “LLL 111.”
Instead of going to your local tag agency and ordering a specific series of numbers and letters, if they are available, the Saudi traffic authorities auction customized license plates to the highest bidder at regular auctions.
Young Saudis flock to these auctions in an attempt to add the special flair to their sporty cars, according to Asharq Al-Awsat daily.
The auction works like this: The plates are displayed at the headquarters of the traffic division a week prior to the sale, and during the auction they are displayed on an overhead projector, open for bidding.
The plates start at bids between SR500 and SR1,000, and sometimes the prices skyrocket, especially when more than two bidders are vying for the same prize. All bidders are required to pay a SR1,000 deposit; they lose the money if they bid on something without paying should they win.
Ali Al-Najrani, auction place committee member, said that there are lots of daring that goes on among the Saudi youths that bid at these auctions. This is what he said happened to one young man that found himself with a very expensive “LLL 111” license plate.
“We faced many Saudis that get excited during the auction,” he said.
Suleiman Al-Shubaili, in his 20s, bought a plate for SR7,000. He said that his brother bought a unique car plate for SR19,000.
“I do this as a hobby because I can resell the car plate for a much higher price,” he said. “It is a good feeling to get a car plate for your car that many other Saudis in the auction place were fighting for.”
