FROM PLATES TO PLATFORM: IT'S ALL IN NUMBERS

What began as an Instagram page for trading UAE number plates is now a thriving business

- BY NIVETHA DAYANAND

Hassan Shehada is part of a new wave of young UAE entrepreneurs who are turning personal interests into ventures.

Raised in the UAE and familiar with the strong car culture around him, he saw early on how number plates carried meaning and value for many residents. That observation eventually pushed him to start PlatePros with his partner Ahmed Al Nasser, not as a tech play or a trading platform, but as a way to understand a market they had both grown up around.

“PlatePros was born out of a shared passion between my partner Ahmed Al Nasser and me. We have always viewed car plate numbers as more than just identifiers. In the UAE, they represent individuality, pride, and even memories,” said Hassan Shehada. “We realised many people did not truly understand their value, both emotionally and as an investment.”

Started small, growing big