The special single-digit vehicle plate number 2 with code 2 was auctioned off for a record AED 23.3 million (about $6 million) at the second Most Noble Numbers charity auction, held at Abu Dhabi’s Emirates Palace. The unique vehicle number ‘2’ saw a fierce bidding war, with the proceeds going to the ‘1 Billion Meals’ initiative, eventually closing at AED 23,300,000.
This was the second charity auction for unique vehicle licence plates and mobile phone numbers. The first auction, held in Dubai on Saturday, netted AED 53 million. The auction in Abu Dhabi began with bids for mobile numbers: du 0581111114 (AED 130,000), 0589999996 (AED 120,000), Etisalat 0547444444 (AED 160,000), and 0567777722 (AED 160,000) (AED 100,000).
The ‘1 Billion Meals’ initiative arranged by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) is the region’s largest in terms of providing food assistance to the underprivileged and malnourished.
Mohammad Al Gergawi, Secretary-General of MBRGI, confirmed before the auction that the 1 Billion Meals initiative has received AED 200 million in funding, equating to 200 million meals, from 232,000 donors to date. This adds to the 220 million meals collected and distributed last year, bringing the total to 420 million meals.
