RIYADH, 28 November 2007 — If you are driving around the capital and happen to see a car with plate number AAA-1111, take a picture because it is one of those rare license plates that are actually worth more than the car itself. AAA-1111 was snatched up by an anonymous buyer for a whopping SR6.45 million ($1.73 million) yesterday at an auction for the Kingdom’s redesigned car license plates, the daily Al-Watan reported yesterday. The auction, which was organized by Riyadh traffic police, was teeming with businessmen and well-known personalities competing against each other to snatch up the unique plates. AAA-2222 went for SR400,000, AAA-3333 was sold for SR510,000 and AAA-4444’s selling price exceeded SR1 million. The re-designed license plates have both the Eastern Arabic numeral system (Arabic-language numbers) as well as the Hindu-Arabic numeral system, as in: 1234567890. The new system also employs the Latin alphabet for letters with their accompanying Arabic script.
Dowry of Coins Worth SR200
MAKKAH, 28 November 2007 — A father revealed an astonishing fact to guests attending his daughter’s wedding. He told the guests that he asked for only three Saudi silver coins worth about SR66 each, or about SR200, in total for his daughter’s dowry, the Al-Madinah daily reported yesterday. Cases of exuberant dowry demands have been widely reported in the local media; often running into hundreds of thousands of riyals, many young men are often forced to postpone getting married. Occasionally, reports are published about the opposite: Fathers who ask for humble dowries realizing that newlyweds need the money to start their lives. But this is perhaps the first time a father has asked for collector’s coins that aren’t worth very much. The father, who appreciated the sanctity of marriage, said his daughter’s happiness was of paramount importance and his dowry demand of three silver coins was merely symbolic. He later gave his blessings to the newlyweds and wished them a happy life.
