"1" is the loneliest (& most expensive) number

[skippy]

Vanity plate sold for $14 million in UAE

Sat Feb 16, 10:51 PM ET

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates - A license plate with nothing but the number "1" on it went for a record $14 million at a charity auction Saturday.

Saeed Khouri, a member of a wealthy Abu Dhabi family, wouldn't say how many automobiles he owned or which of them might carry the record-breaking single-digit plate.

"I bought it because it's the best number," said Khouri, whose family made its fortune in real estate. "I bought it because I want to be the best in the world."

The oil-rich UAE began auctioning off vanity license plates last May.

Ordinary automobile license plates issued to drivers here — and even most other vanity series plates — carry both Arabic and Western numerals and script, defining the issuing city and country.

Khouri's plate, however, has only the Western numeral and no letters.

The record sale surpassed the $6.8 million that was paid for an Emirati license plate at an earlier auction with the Western number 5 on it — also without Arabic numerals or letters.

Proceeds from the auctions, which are held in a lavish hotel here, go to a rehabilitation center for victims of traffic accidents.

On Saturday, 90 license plates were auctioned off in all, raising a total of $24 million. The previous five such events raised more than $50 million.

[Wellahiya]

Originally Posted by skippy

Ordinary automobile license plates issued to drivers here — and even most other vanity series plates — carry both Arabic and Western numerals and script, defining the issuing city and country.

Khouri's plate, however, has only the Western numeral and no letters.

over here in germany we call the arabian numbers 'western'... wtf is teh difference over the pond?

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0 ... damn, i can count arabic numbers...

[skippy]

Originally Posted by eekchac

over here in germany we call the arabian numbers 'western'... wtf is teh difference over the pond?

1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0 ... damn, i can count arabic numbers...

Hindu mathematicians in India invented the so-called Arabic numbers at least 1,700 years ago. The Arabs played an essential part in passing the number system to us. Their own number system also stems from the Hindu figures.

[Wellahiya]

so what's teh difference between western and arabic then?

okay, googled it... seems a lil more complicated than i thought, but looks like the 'arabic numbers' that i thought are the 'western', wich are basically 'translated'... lol, whatever...

[mrwho]

must be nice to have so much money to be able to spend 14 mil on a license plate..

[skippy]

Originally Posted by eekchac

so what's teh difference between western and arabic then?

okay, googled it... seems a lil more complicated than i thought, but looks like the 'arabic numbers' that i thought are the 'western', wich are basically 'translated'... lol, whatever...

The Arabs stole the idea for the numbers 0-9 from India and used their own symbols to represent those numbers.

The numbers went to Europe through the introduction of Algebra from the Arab world......hence the term "Arabic Numbers"

Even though they are called "Arabic Numbers," the Arab symbols are not used.....hence the term "Western Numbers."

[skippy]

Originally Posted by skippy

The Arabs stole the idea for the numbers 0-9 from India and used their own symbols to represent those numbers.

The numbers went to Europe through the introduction of Algebra from the Arab world......hence the term "Arabic Numbers"

Even though they are called "Arabic Numbers," the Arab symbols are not used.....hence the term "Western Numbers."

They stole the numbers from India and claimed it as their own.

Just like Marco Polo stole the noodle/spaghetti from China and claims it as Italian.

BASTARDS!!!