In a bid to raise money and awareness for the cause of world hunger, several rare vehicle number plates (single, double and triple digit plates) in Dubai went up for auction under the ‘1 Billion Meals’ initiative, with many more to still go under the hammer, according to reports. In a video shared by news agency Reuters, vehicles sporting empty number plates were spotted across the roads of Dubai.
Organised by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum - Vice President and Ruler of Dubai - the ‘1 Billion Meals’ initiative aims to get 1 billion meals to underprivileged families across the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, Reuters reported. The campaign kicked-off on April 2, on the day of Ramadan and is currently underway. The initiative “starts at the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan and will continue until the goal is achieved,” the leader said in a tweet earlier.
Since the beginning of the campaign till last Monday, more than 560 car number plates were auctioned off during the campaign, news agency Reuters reported . One specific number plate was sold for a staggering $9.5million USD (AED 35 million) (the AA 8 Dubai plate), which is now the world’s sixth most expensive licence plate ever sold. This follows last year’s auction, with the AA9 number plate being sold for a staggering $10.3 million USD (AED 38 million), making this the fifth most expensive licence plate in the world.
{{/usCountry}}Since the beginning of the campaign till last Monday, more than 560 car number plates were auctioned off during the campaign, news agency Reuters reported . One specific number plate was sold for a staggering $9.5million USD (AED 35 million) (the AA 8 Dubai plate), which is now the world’s sixth most expensive licence plate ever sold. This follows last year’s auction, with the AA9 number plate being sold for a staggering $10.3 million USD (AED 38 million), making this the fifth most expensive licence plate in the world.
{{/usCountry}}The government of Dubai said on April 21 that it has already started distributing food support in 13 countries in less than three weeks after the campaign’s launch. “The 13 countries where distribution has begun are Nigeria, India, Sudan, Jordan, Lebanon, Kyrgyzstan, Egypt, Tajikistan, Uganda, UAE, Kosovo, USA, and Albania utilising the existing field and logistical networks of the initiative’s operational partners,” the official statement read.
Meanwhile, global payments technology company Visa Inc. announced on Friday that it will donate 1 million Dirham to the initiative. The entire proceeds of the auction will go to support the humanitarian goals of the initiative by providing a food safety net that extends from the UAE to those in need in 50 countries across the globe.
During Ramadan 2021, the UAE set a target of raising enough donations for 100 million meals. This target was reached within 10 days, media reports said.