Cell number auctioned for $2.74 mn

DOHA: An offbeat cellular phone number --6666666 -- was auctioned off here for a reported 10 million Qatari riyals ($2.74 million), making it the most expensive phone number ever sold in Qatar.

Bids narrowed down to two competitors out of a total of eight vying to possess the unusual seven digit phone number containing only the number six.

The auction started off with a million riyals with higher bids set at 100,000 riyal increments.

Waleed al-Sayyed, executive officer of the Qatar Telecommunications Company which sponsored the auction told reporters on Monday that the 10 million riyals will be turned over to Hamad Medical Services Foundation to fund building medical clinics in faraway regions of the country where medical services are not easily available.

The eight bidders had to pay 3000 riyals each in order to take part in the bidding. The total amount collected from that was turned over to local charities, he said.