In the past two decades, more than 120,000 items have been sold at Ritchie Bros.’ auctions in Dubai. The company will celebrate its 20th anniversary in the UAE with a Dubai auction on December 13 and 14, 2016. Businesses from the wider Middle East region have already consigned more than 1,700 heavy equipment items and trucks to the two-day unreserved auction. Bids can be made in person at the auction site, online at rbauction.com and by proxy. Ritchie Bros.’ first Dubai auction was held in 1997. Since then the company has held 72 auctions in Dubai, selling over 120,000 lots and registering more than 40,000 bidders. Today’s auctions in Dubai are a lot different than those conducted 20 years ago. “At the first auctions in Dubai, bidders were seated in a huge tent and everyone joined in person as we didn’t have online bidding yet,” said Eduard Faig, Regional Sales Manager, Ritchie Bros. “Now we run our operation in a comfortable auction theatre, with a full-service equipment yard and have a lot more to offer to our customers. Through the years, more bidders from more countries outside the region found their way to our Dubai auctions, either in person or online, making it a powerful auction hub. Every year businesses from all over the Middle East, Asia and further away rely on us to sell and buy the equipment they need.” Ritchie Bros.’ 73rd Dubai auction on December 13 and 14, 2016, offers a chance for businesses to buy and sell before the end of the year.