Online Car Auction UAE: How to Bid on Cars From Your Phone (2026 Step-by-Step Guide)
Short answer: yes, you can bid on cars at a UAE auction without setting foot in the yard. Marhaba Auctions streams every live auction from its Sharjah branches and Oman with video and audio, and you bid from your phone or laptop in real time. You need a free account, a refundable bidding deposit, and about ten minutes to set things up. This guide walks you through the whole process, from registration to collecting the car, and covers the things first-time online bidders usually get wrong.
Online car auctions in the UAE, in 60 seconds
- What you are bidding on: the same inspected lots as the people in the hall: fleet and rental returns, ex-government cars, bank-repossessed vehicles, trade-ins, salvage and luxury cars. Prices are set by live bidding and often land up to 30–40% below market.
- What you need: Emirates ID (or passport if you are outside the UAE), a mobile number, an email address and a refundable deposit.
- Where the auctions happen: Souq Al Haraj, Main Branch (Industrial Area 2), Industrial Area 12 and Al Sajaa in Sharjah, plus the Oman branch. Sales run six days a week, most starting between 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM.
- How you bid: live during the auction, with a proxy (maximum) bid the system places for you, or with a pre-bid before the auction starts. Some cars can also be bought outright with Buy Now.
- What it costs to take part: registration is free. The deposit is refunded if you do not win, or adjusted against the car if you do.
Step 1: Register on the website or the app
Create your account at marhabaauctions.com or download the Marhaba Auction app for Android or iPhone. Registration takes about a minute: name, mobile number, email and your Emirates ID or passport. Both the site and the app use the same account, so you can browse on the laptop and bid from your phone on auction night.
Registration is free and there is no membership fee. If you only ever want to bid in person, you do not even need an account: walk into any branch, collect a free bidder pass at the gate and raise your hand. The online account is for people who want to bid from home, the office or another country.
Step 2: Pay the refundable bidding deposit
To switch on online bidding, you pay a refundable security deposit of AED 4,000. This is what makes your online bids binding in the same way a paddle does in the hall. Once it is received, the team approves your account for live bidding and you are ready to go.
Three things to know about the deposit:
- It is not a fee. If you do not win anything, it is refunded. If you do win, it is adjusted against the price of the car.
- How to pay it: by card online, in person at any Marhaba branch, or by bank transfer if you are overseas (the team shares the details on request).
- In-yard bidding needs no deposit. The deposit applies to online bidding only. If you attend the auction in person, you bid free of charge.
Not sure how much you plan to spend? Tell the team on 800 622 or through the website chat before auction day; they will confirm your bidding limit and make sure your account is approved in time.
Step 3: Find your car before auction day
The biggest advantage of bidding online is time. Cars are listed days before the sale, so you can shortlist calmly instead of deciding under the auctioneer's clock.
- Today's auctions shows every lot going under the hammer today, branch by branch: marhabaauctions.com/auctions/today-auctions.
- The auction calendar lists upcoming sales by date, branch and start time, so you can plan a week ahead: marhabaauctions.com/auctions/calendar.
- Search and filters let you narrow by make, model, year, branch and starting bid across all vehicles.
- Each lot page carries 20+ photos, mileage, damage notes, the starting bid and a chassis-check badge where it applies. Read the damage notes twice; they are written to be honest, not to sell.
- Watchlist the lots you like. You get a notification before each one comes up so you are not glued to the stream for two hours.
If you are in the UAE, go and see the car. Yards are open daily from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM and you can start the engine, check the paperwork and ask a consultant about the lot. Online bidding does not mean blind bidding.
Step 4: Choose how you want to bid
Marhaba gives online bidders four ways to buy. Pick the one that suits your schedule and your nerves.
| Option | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Live bidding | Join the stream at the start time, watch the auctioneer, tap to bid as the price climbs. Your bid shows on the hall screen instantly. | Buyers who want to react to the room and stop the moment it gets expensive. |
| Proxy (maximum) bid | Enter the most you are willing to pay. The system bids for you in the standard increments, only when someone outbids you, and never above your limit. If the hammer falls below your maximum, you pay the hammer price. | Anyone who cannot be online at 5:30 PM, or who tends to get carried away in a live bidding war. |
| Pre-bid | Place an opening bid on a lot before the auction begins. It becomes the starting point when the lot comes up. | Buyers who want a foot in the door on a popular lot. |
| Buy Now | Some cars carry a fixed price and can be bought immediately without waiting for the auction. See Buy Now vehicles. | People who have found the right car and do not want to risk losing it on the night. |
Step 5: Auction night, what actually happens
Log in ten minutes before the start time and open the live auction for your branch. You will see the video feed of the hall, the current lot, the current bid and a bid button. Lots run in sequence, one after the other, until the sale ends. A typical Sharjah sale gets through 100 to 300 cars in an evening, so lots move quickly, often in under a minute each.
A few habits that separate calm online bidders from frustrated ones:
- Write your ceiling down before the lot comes up. Include the auction fees in it. When the price passes that number, stop. There is another auction tomorrow.
- Use a stable connection. Wi-Fi or 5G, not a car park with two bars. If your stream lags, a proxy bid is safer than tapping late.
- Watch the lot order. Your watchlist alert fires before your car comes up; use it to get back to the screen.
- Bid clearly, once. Each tap is a bid at the next increment. Do not double-tap.
- The hammer is binding. When the auctioneer says sold and your name is on the screen, that car is yours. Online bids carry the same weight as a raised hand in the hall.
Step 6: You won. Now what?
You get a win notification in the app and by email, and the invoice appears in your account. From here the process is the same as for a hall buyer:
- Pay the invoice (hammer price plus the standard auction fees that are explained at registration). Your deposit is adjusted against it.
- Collect the documents from the branch that sold the car: the sale certificate, the inspection report where available, and the paperwork you need for transfer.
- Transfer the registration at Tasjeel or the relevant RTA centre, or let the Marhaba team handle it for you. Our post-purchase guide covers insurance, passing and transfer step by step.
- Take the car from the yard yourself, or arrange delivery. Buying from another emirate or another country? Marhaba's sister company M1 Shipping handles export documentation and shipping for winning bidders.
Did not win? Nothing to do. The deposit stays on your account for the next sale, or you can ask for it to be refunded.
Which live auctions can you join online?
All of them. Every Marhaba auction is streamed, so you can bid on Sharjah stock from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Muscat or abroad. Current schedule (always confirm on the auction calendar, as times change around holidays and special sales):
| Branch | Auction days | Start time |
|---|---|---|
| Souq Al Haraj, Sharjah | Monday, Wednesday, Friday | 5:00 PM |
| Main Branch (Industrial Area 2), Sharjah | Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday | 5:30 PM |
| Industrial Area 12, Sharjah | Saturday, Monday, Wednesday | 6:30 PM |
| Al Sajaa, Sharjah | Friday, Sunday | 7:00 PM |
| Oman branch | Sunday | 6:00 PM |
On most evenings two branches sell at once, so an online bidder can follow both from the same screen, something no hall buyer can do.
Bidding from outside the UAE
Buyers from Oman, Saudi Arabia, Ghana, Nigeria, Georgia, Russia and Europe bid in Marhaba auctions every week. The process is the same with two small differences: you register with your passport instead of an Emirates ID, and you pay the deposit by card or bank transfer. Proxy bidding is especially useful across time zones; set your maximum and check the result in the morning.
After you win, M1 Shipping can prepare export paperwork and arrange shipping, and buyers in Ghana and Nigeria can bid UAE stock now ahead of the local branch openings. Ask the team about export before you bid so you can price the shipping into your ceiling.
Online vs in the hall: which is better for you?
| Bidding online | Bidding in the hall | |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | Free account, approved after deposit | Free bidder pass at the gate |
| Deposit | AED 4,000, refundable | None |
| Where you can be | Anywhere with internet | At the branch |
| Bidding options | Live, proxy, pre-bid, Buy Now | Live only |
| Following two auctions at once | Yes | No |
| Inspecting the car first | Yes, during yard hours (10 AM–10 PM) | Yes, on the day |
| Atmosphere | Calm, easy to stick to your limit | Exciting, easy to overspend |
Many regular buyers do both: inspect in the yard during the day, then bid from home in the evening.
Seven mistakes first-time online bidders make
- Registering on auction night. Approval needs the deposit to clear. Register and pay at least a day before.
- Skipping the damage notes. They are the most useful text on the lot page. If a note says "engine noise", believe it and price accordingly.
- Bidding on a car nobody has looked at. If you cannot visit, call the branch and ask a consultant to walk around it for you.
- Forgetting the fees. Your ceiling should be the all-in number, not the hammer price.
- Chasing a lot out of pride. The same model comes up again next week; hundreds of cars sell every day across the branches.
- Bidding on a bad connection. Use a proxy bid if you are on the move.
- Ignoring the watchlist alerts. They exist so you do not miss your car while making coffee.
Frequently asked questions
Can I bid on a car auction in Dubai online?
Yes. Marhaba Auctions streams its live auctions in Sharjah and Oman, and registered online bidders across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the rest of the UAE bid in real time from the website or app. Dubai buyers can collect from any Sharjah branch or arrange delivery.
How much is the deposit for online bidding?
AED 4,000, fully refundable. It is returned if you do not win and adjusted against the invoice if you do. No deposit is needed to bid in person at the branch.
Do I need an Emirates ID to bid online?
UAE residents register with their Emirates ID. Buyers outside the UAE register with a passport.
What is a proxy bid?
Your maximum price for a lot. The system bids on your behalf, only when you are outbid and only up to that maximum. If bidding stops below your limit, you pay the lower hammer price.
Can I inspect a car before bidding online?
Yes. Yards are open daily from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Every lot also has 20+ photos, mileage and damage notes online, and the website chat can look up live cars and VINs for you.
What happens if I win but change my mind?
A winning bid is a binding purchase, online or in the hall. Decide your limit before the lot comes up and treat every bid as a commitment.
Are online bidders at a disadvantage against people in the hall?
No. Online bids appear on the hall screen the moment you place them and the auctioneer treats them like any raised hand. Online bidders also get tools the hall does not: proxy bids, watchlist alerts and the ability to follow two branches at once.
Can I buy a car from Marhaba without bidding at all?
Yes. Buy Now vehicles carry a fixed price and can be purchased directly from the website or app before they go to auction.
Ready to place your first online bid?
Create your free account, pay the refundable deposit and you can bid in tonight's sale. Start at Live Auctions, browse today's lots, or call 800 622 and the team will approve your account and answer any question before you bid. For a full overview of the service, see our online car auction UAE page.
