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Dubai Number Plate Sells for Record $14.9 Million at Auction

Expensive car plate broke a record at a charity auction (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Expensive car plate broke a record at a charity auction (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Dubai Number Plate Sells for Record $14.9 Million at Auction

Expensive car plate broke a record at a charity auction (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Expensive car plate broke a record at a charity auction (Asharq Al-Awsat)

A Dubai charity auction dedicated to support the inauguration of a Ramadan sustainable food aid endowment fund raised Dh97.9 million ($26.6 million).

The auction hit a record by selling the ‘P 7’ plate, the most expensive license plate in the world for Dh55 million ($14.9 million), breaking the former record of Dh52.2 million ($14.2 million).

Dubai's “Most Noble Numbers” charity auction for special numbers, held on April 8, and whose proceeds will go to the One Billion Meals campaign, managed to sell 35 special numbers including 14 license plates, 10 Du phone numbers, and 11 Etisalat phone numbers.

The proceeds from the auction will go to the “One Billion Meals" campaign aimed at finding sustainable solutions for hunger and malnutrition in vulnerable communities, and to implement targeted programs, projects and initiatives within systematic plans and specific targets to eradicate hunger.

The charitable bids on vehicle plate numbers hit a total of Dh91.5 million ($24.9 million), and the Etisalat phone numbers raised about Dh3.3 million ($904,500), while Du numbers amounted to Dh3 million ($818,800).

According to the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, the “Most Noble Numbers” charity auction supporting the One Billion Meals campaign, offers philanthropists an innovative opportunity during the Holy Month of Ramadan to contribute to establishing a food safety network that starts in the UAE and serves the vulnerable categories in unfortunate communities.

The One Billion Meals campaign, held under the umbrella of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives Foundation, aims to revive the endowment as a development tool for societies, ensure the sustainability of giving, and contribute to global hunger eradication efforts, considered one of the most significant development goals.

Alongside the charity auction, the One Billion Meals campaign has five other contribution outlets: the official website, call center, shareholding in the endowment, and bank transfers. The campaign also receives donations via text messages.

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Rare Pudu Birth in Argentina Sparks Conservation Hopes for Tiny Enigmatic Deer

A rare pudu fawn named Lenga, born earlier this month, is seen at the Temaiken Foundation, in Buenos Aires, Argentina November 22, 2024. (Reuters)
A rare pudu fawn named Lenga, born earlier this month, is seen at the Temaiken Foundation, in Buenos Aires, Argentina November 22, 2024. (Reuters)
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Rare Pudu Birth in Argentina Sparks Conservation Hopes for Tiny Enigmatic Deer

A rare pudu fawn named Lenga, born earlier this month, is seen at the Temaiken Foundation, in Buenos Aires, Argentina November 22, 2024. (Reuters)
A rare pudu fawn named Lenga, born earlier this month, is seen at the Temaiken Foundation, in Buenos Aires, Argentina November 22, 2024. (Reuters)

A rare pudu fawn was born in a biopark in Argentina earlier this month, giving scientists and conservationists a unique chance to study and collect data on the tiny enigmatic deer.

Weighing just 1.21 kg (2.7 lbs), the delicate, fragile and white-spotted male pudu fawn was named Lenga after a tree species endemic to the Andean Patagonian forest of Chile and Argentina.

"It's a very enigmatic animal, it's not easy to see," said Maximiliano Krause, Lenga's caretaker at the Temaiken Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to conserving wild species.

Pudus are one of the smallest deer species in the world, growing up to 50-cm (20-inches) tall and weighing up to 12 kg (26.5 lbs).

At just a fraction of that weight, Krause says Lenga is spending his days exploring the park with his mother Chalten and father Nicolino. Lenga is breastfeeding for the first two months until he can handle a herbivorous diet.

After that, Lenga will lose his white spots that help fawns camouflage themselves in their environment. Krause says the mottled color helps the tiny baby deer hide from both daytime and nighttime predators. At about one year, pudus develop antlers and reach up to 10 cm (4 inches).

Pudus are very elusive animals and flee in zig-zags when chased by predators. The tiny deer also face threats from wild dogs and species introduced into southern Argentina and Chile. Only about 10,000 pudus remain and are classified as near-threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

"This pudu birth is obviously a joy for us," said Cristian Guillet, director of zoological operations at the Temaiken Foundation.

Guillet said that Lenga will help them research and gather data that will help conservation efforts for pudus and other Patagonian deer, like the huemul.

"(This) offers hope of saving them from extinction," Guillet said.