The Dubai-based billionaire Balvinder Singh Sahni, popularly known as Abu Sabah, is renowned for his passion for ultra-luxury automobiles and extravagant number plates. He garnered media attention in 2016 when he acquired a '5' car number plate at an astonishing price of Dh33 million.

Abu Sabah, who is the chairman of RSG Group, said that the cumulative worth of the numerous VIP number plates in his possession from Dubai and Abu Dhabi far surpasses the value of the Rolls-Royces and other top-tier vehicles he has in his collection.

“I have dozens of VIP car number plates, but I don’t want to disclose. I have both Dubai 5 and Abu Dhabi 5. These are the most expensive number plates I own. All of my number plates are much more than Dh100 million, and the total cost of the VIP number plates is higher than the value of my cars. I don’t know the exact number of cars, thanks to the blessing of God and my mother’s prayers,” the Dubai-based billionaire told Khaleej Times in an interview in his uber-luxury majlis - dotted with gold-plated interiors on Palm Jumeirah.

He also disclosed that ‘Dubai 5’ remains his favourite number plate, which he often uses while vrooming around the city.

Why spend millions on VIP plates?

Abu Sabah, frequently seen wearing traditional Arabic attire, has a penchant for charting his own course rather than following the crowd.

“When I came to Dubai, I had many Rolls-Royce cars but then I realised that every house has a Roll-Royce. If I have two, they have three. The story for numbers started in 2006 when I went to an ultra-luxury hotel and they didn’t let me in. They asked ‘Do you have a reservation or staying here’. I said I just come to visit the hotel. They said you can’t enter without reservation unless you have a 2-digit number plate. So I went to the auction and bought 3 number plates for Dh2.8 [million] each,” he says, smiling.

‘A number man’

Abu Sabah regards the number 9 and the colour blue as symbols of good fortune. “I sign mostly with a blue pen. There’s no black pen in my office," he says.

Abu Sabah always had a fascination with numbers. Prior to his move to Dubai in 2006, he resided in Kuwait. More than two decades ago, he made headlines in the Gulf country by acquiring the priciest mobile number in the country for Dh600,000, sparking a buzz throughout the town. He had close ties with Kuwait's royal family as well.

“It was a very hard decision [to move to Dubai] because I was very respected in Kuwait. I have a lot of friends, including royals. When I came to Dubai, it was a different ballgame,” he adds.

Passion for money

Abu Sabah's daily routine typically begins at 6am, when he starts the day with a one-hour morning walk. He then visits his various project sites before heading to the central office. Throughout the day, he also schedules meetings at government offices before returning home. His interactions with business partners often extend well into the late hours, continuing until midnight.

Abu Sabah's unwavering passion for his work keeps him thoroughly engaged, ensuring that he never experiences boredom. The billionaire is notably reticent about political matters, preferring to engage in conversations only about subjects that ignite his passion. He has established a reputation for his steadfast consistency among his peers, wisely conserving his energy for matters he finds stimulating and positive, rather than squandering it on what he deems uninteresting or negative.

The billionaire has just one passion. “It is making money," he says.

 

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