What Marhaba Auctions does

Marhaba Auctions is a UAE-based automotive auction company founded in 2018 and operating as part of the Marhaba Group of Companies conglomerate. It runs live car auctions across four physical branches — three in Sharjah (Souq Al Haraj / Auto Village, Industrial Area 2, and Industrial Area 12) and one in Dubai (Al Quoz 1, opened November 2024) — plus a regional presence in Oman. Processing 8,000+ vehicles per month with an inventory of 10,000+ units, it claims to be the UAE's largest live car auction operator by frequency, running seven weekly auction events. Customers include individual car buyers, car dealers and resellers, and commercial vehicle buyers purchasing used, salvage, and repossessed vehicles at prices positioned 30%–50% below market value.

The core product is a multi-channel live auction platform combining on-site bidding at physical auction halls with a self-serve web platform (marhabaauctions.com) and dedicated iOS/Android mobile applications (rated 4.8 stars with 50,000+ downloads). Proprietary features include a real-time online bidding system with YouTube live streaming, an auto-bid function, vehicle pre-inspection reporting, and a 'Sell Your Car' consignment service. An official partnership with the IAA (Insurance Auto Auctions) Market Alliance Program and operation of an IAA Auction Center enables direct sourcing of US- and Canada-imported vehicles into the UAE market.

The company operates a transaction-fee revenue model: registration is free, participants pay a refundable deposit (tasjeel/join fee) to receive a bidding paddle, and revenue is earned via buyer's premiums and auction transaction margins. Pricing is event-driven, with periodic Ramadan, Summer, National Day, and Eid promotional campaigns (raffles, cashback up to AED 500,000, free cars) used to drive throughput. Distribution combines physical auction halls, an online live bidding platform, a mobile app, and a consignment channel for sellers, with over 200 auction business experts producing inspection reports. Leadership includes Executive Director Zubair Rashidi.

Name

Marhaba Auctions

Legal name

Marhaba Auctions

Website

https://marhabaauctions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Marhaba Auctions is a UAE-based automotive auction company operating four physical branches in Sharjah and Dubai with an online bidding platform and mobile app, serving individual buyers, car dealers, and commercial vehicle buyers through seven weekly live auctions of inspected used, salvage, and repossessed vehicles priced 30–50% below market.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vehicle Auction Services

NAICS

Wholesale Trade (42)

SIC

Wholesale-Motor Vehicles & Motor Vehicle Parts & Supplies (5010)

akta.pro primary industry

Wholesale Vehicle Auctions (Physical & Online) (TLABAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Salvage, Total Loss & Insurance Auction Services (TLABAKAH)

Keywords

• Live car auctions
• Used car auctions
• Salvage vehicle auctions
• Online auto auctions
• Vehicle remarketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Sharjah

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Vehicle Auction Transaction Fees: Marhaba Auctions generates revenue primarily through transaction fees charged on vehicle sales at auction. Buyers place bids and pay the winning amount plus a buyer's premium (refundable deposit model). The auction model enables prices 30%–50% below market value for buyers while Marhaba earns a margin on each transaction.
2. Auction Promotion Campaigns & Cashback Incentives: The company runs periodic promotional campaigns (Ramadan, summer, National Day) offering cashback, free cars via raffle draws, and gold rewards to drive buyer participation and volume. These campaigns generate increased transaction throughput and create marketing buzz.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Marhaba Auctions operates live in-person and online vehicle auction events across the UAE, selling used, salvage, and repossessed cars and commercial vehicles at 30-50% below market value. The company aggregates inventory from consignments, repossessions, and a partnership with IAA (Insurance Auto Auctions), and delivers vehicles to buyers across all UAE cities with same-day title transfer.

Product overview

Marhaba Auctions operates as a multi-channel live car auction platform offering both online and on-site bidding capabilities. The core product is the Marhaba Auctions platform (website and mobile app) which enables users to browse and bid on thousands of inspected used, salvage, and repossessed cars with prices 30%-50% below market value. Additional services include a Sell Your Car consignment service, a Featured Vehicles premium selection module, and an Auction Calendar for scheduling. The company, part of the Marhaba Group of Companies (operating since 2018), has four branches across Sharjah and Dubai and processes over 8,000 vehicles monthly.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Marhaba Auctions Online Auction Platform

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• IAA (Insurance Auto Auctions) Market Alliance ProgramcoreTechnology or IntegrationMarhaba Auctions is an official partner of the IAA Market Alliance Program and operates an IAA Auction Center. This partnership expands their global buyer network, provides access to US and Canada-imported vehicles, and enables international vehicle sourcing. With a team of over 200 auction business experts, the partnership enables Marhaba to offer vehicles shipped directly from the US & Canada to the UAE market.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Others

• Auto Auction Mall: Aggregator that provides access to multiple US vehicle auction platforms (Copart, IAA). Adjacent rather than direct competitor; relevant due to Marhaba's reliance on US-sourced inventory and shared buyer/investor interest in cross-border vehicle auctions.

Broad incumbents

• Manheim (Cox Automotive): World's largest wholesale used vehicle auction network under Cox Enterprises. Provides comparable live and online auction services at greater scale, with broader portfolio including dealer financing and inventory management. A distant global incumbent rather than a UAE-specific competitor.
• ADESA (KAR Auction Services): Major North American wholesale vehicle auction operator. Runs the same physical-plus-online auction model as Marhaba, but with a much broader dealership-focused infrastructure. Comparable in business model though not in regional focus.

Direct peers

• Copart: Globally dominant salvage and used vehicle auction platform. Direct competitor in operating model—live online auctions of salvage and repossessed vehicles—although serving primarily US/UK/Brazil markets. Marhaba's IAA partnership places it in the same global alliance ecosystem.
• IAA (Insurance Auto Auctions / RB Global): US-based salvage auction leader and Marhaba's official global partner. Operates the same live-auction model for total-loss and insurance vehicles; Marhaba runs an IAA Auction Center, making them both partner and structurally comparable in product/market.

Emerging players

• Kavak: MENA and Latin America used-car marketplace with reconditioning and financing. Emerging pre-owned auto platform with similar inspection-driven value proposition; competes in adjacent geographies (Mexico, Turkey, Saudi) and may eventually expand into UAE.
• CarSwitch (YallaCompare): UAE-based used car marketplace with inspection and financing services. Competes for both buyers and sellers with a fixed-price marketplace model, contrasting with Marhaba's auction-based clearing mechanism.
• dubizzle Motors (OLX): UAE's largest classifieds platform with a deep automotive vertical. Functions as a marketplace for used vehicle listings; competes for buyer attention and seller leads rather than operating as an auctioneer.

Regional players

• SellAnyCar: UAE-based used-car instant-buying platform. Competes with Marhaba on the seller side of used vehicles by offering instant purchase offers, representing a different monetization model (instant buy vs. auction) within the same regional market.
• Emirates Auction: UAE-based auction house specializing in vehicle, number plate, and general goods auctions. Direct competitor in physical auction services for vehicles, with established brand and broader auction category coverage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MarhabaAuctions
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/marhabaauctions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Marhaba Auctions