COVER N. 396 - KUWAIT

Postmark: Souk Al-Daxhy Post - Kuwait 07.12.2023

Posted on 7th December, 2023; received on the 18th January 2024 

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Another cover, another country joins the list and, once again, I have to thank The Magnificent Flying Dutchan for it. Hartelijk dank, Eric!

Kuwait, a former British protectorate, became independent in 1961. A country built on oil, which was both its blessing and its curse....the sublime photographs of Sebastião Salgado documenting the extinguishing of the oil pit fires ignited by the Iraqi occupiers could have been the end of the story... unfortunately it wasn't so, for the fire would rekindle in the Gulf just some years later... but I digress...

On the occasion of the Kuwait Industries Exhibition, which took place from the 1st to the 10th October 1997, the Postal Administration of the country issued a three stamp set (25; 50; 150 Fils), of which the 150 fils stamp can bee seen on the cover.

The writings on the stamp are integrally bilingual - Arabic and English -  and the flag of Kuwait can be seen on one of the  three  cogwheels that are present in the image that illustrates the stamp.

The postmark seems to indicate that the letter was posted in Souk al-Daxhy, but I could not find any information on this particular Souk.

Update: Alex, informs me that my getting this cover was also a result of the fabled Zoet&Pilz Inc. Consortium, and that Kuwait post would not post directly to Portugal (I got the cover from Eric, inside a Portuguese stamped envelope).

Alex also informs me that Souk al-Daxhy is located in Kuwait city.