Web address abudha.bi sold for more than Dh12,000 ... to buyer in Dubai

British businessman bought the domain name for just Dh90 in 2008.

ABU DHABI // A UK businessman has sold the abudha.bi web address to a buyer in Dubai.

Richard Haigh, who bought the domain name in 2008 for about Dh90, announced on Friday that the price was well above the Dh12.000 he had expected, but would not disclose the exact amount or the identity of the buyer.

“All internet domain names are technically unique, and it is very easy to mistake that as also meaning valuable,” said Mr Haigh.

“Abudha.bi, however, is a very valuable and desirable internet identity as it is the only identity in existence that perfectly, and dramatically, spells out the place name of Abu Dhabi with no other appendages, like dot com.”

“I can’t go in to detail about price or even who the buyer might be but, quite honestly, the price was far more than I ever hoped of getting for the domain.”

Mr Haigh believes the newly purchased website will be used for tourism purposes.

The .bi domain is normally associated with Burundi, in Africa, however Mr Haigh indicated that the country had no problem with his use of the web address.

Mr Haigh has dabbled in trading internet names before.

“The domain I get the most enquiries about is £.com, a rare symbol-based identity that incorporates my country’s currency symbol, the British pound,” he said.

“I have to say that domain names in the mainstream are not a real passion of mine. It is only when I come across a very rare identity, such as abudha.bi, that has the potential to market to people and inspire them on a deep and instinctual level that I get excited.”

He was hopeful that the newly purchased site would do well for its new owner.

“My experience tells me that a fresh and compelling identity, like abudha.bi, will do very well and thrive,” he said.

Mr Haigh runs a website-services business and works in marketing consultancy in the UK.