Tesla. We all have heard about it. But did you know the domain tesla.com was bought by Elon Musk for $11 Million! If you think that’s expensive, here’s more for you. The most expensive domain name ever sold is at $872 million. Cars.com was valued at $872 million from the US SEC filing, by it’s parent company, Gannet Co., Inc. When the world is going so hot on domains, can our UAE stay back? 

The domain selling portal 'Executive Bachelors.com’, which operates under the UAE-based investment company 1971, has transferred Air Kerala.com to Smart Travels for the largest amount in the UAE. Airkerala.com was registered in February 2000. At the time when the Kerala government was going ahead with Air Kerala, India’s largest newpaper spreadsheet the Times of India valued the domain name at around Rs 5 crore (*AED. 27 million then).

“After the news came, many international domain brokers approached us. Since it was a name connected to the region of Kerala, India which had the largest no of migrants working in the Middle East which I also represent, it became more of a purpose than just sale”, said Sathar Karan. He is the new face of India. Engineer by profession, Art by passion and runs an advisory firm by the side for expats to enter the Middle East. He is well connected with the decision makers and royalty that allows him to make the EODB, Ease of Doing Business in UAE a cakewalk. He used to be passionate about technology in the early days of TCP/IP classes from his college days and that passion still continues with the domain sales segment.

Zakaria Muhammad, a leading investment advisor in the UAE, was the first to suggest help him with identifying the right buyer. And came the largest deal in the history of UAE’s domain sales. The investment company 1971 transferred the domain when Smart Travel owner Afi Ahmed approached with the idea of an airline with the experience of flying the largest number of chartered flights to India regardless of profit and loss, as he as an early migrant had been through the journey of not finding affordable travel back and forth to India. He was a warrior who personally ran multiple charters between the countries giving a lot of relief to the Indians during the Covid times.

With more than 7.5 million Indians across the Middle East, this mission made sense while Afi got the costly offers from other international domain agents. A chance meeting in an Innovation Summit hosted by the Government, they met by the side and discussed their independent purposes. And they signed the deal over a Kawa and Dates. Afi was relieved as he got the deal at a fraction while the final price offered really blew Sathar to a level of unbelievability. 

.

“I was so concerned and was not ready to sell Air Kerala as it was a dream project of many. I waited for 23 years in the hope that one day would come when someone would approach me at a throwaway price, and here I was offered the biggest sale of my life”, said Sathar Karan. My father used to say good things take time, added Sathar.

Afi Ahmed, chairman of Smart Travel, the leading travel company in the UAE, has acquired the domain Air Kerala.com, which is the most expensive domain in UAE. Smart Travels is moving forward by acquiring the domain with the aim of initially providing cheap air tickets to the masses and then branching out into charter flights and own-aircraft international flights. The project is already underway and he’s rolling out more services in 2023. 

The authorities have reversed the earlier decision that only five years of experience in the field of domestic aviation would be allowed to start international flights. The state government can also take the initiative to start the long-awaited flight service of expatriates as the new decision has been made to allow international service for those who have 20 planes.

There is a lot of potential to attract more foreign tourists and make Indian and Kerala tourism world-class by starting the new air service. Kerala's own airline is a project that can be made possible by taking the initiative of the government, using non-resident industrialists or inviting investments from the public.

The huge potential in India's domestic aviation sector is the reason why many private airlines are coming forward with new big projects recently. Afi Ahmed added that their experiences in the past have successfully implemented the potential of charter flights. With AirKerala.com this will be strengthened further in  and Smart Travels is proud to undertake such ambitious projects. Sathar Karan with his proficient business acumen and connection has offered to extend his networks and wealth of knowledge to support this aviation project to fly sooner. 

Smart Travels Founder Afi Ahmed, General Manager Safeer Mahamood, 1971 Partner Saab Somhoon  and Executive Bachelors Creative Director Sreesan Menon were present.