POSTCARD N.228 - U.A.E. - UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Postcard sent on the 6th Februray; received on the 6th May 2026

Postcard image:  Dubai Skyline 

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Ravi also sent me a postcard from Dubai, during his stay there. Bohomȧ  sthoothi, friend.

Looking at the joyful image on the card, I cannot but think about the irony in it.... these are the kind of fireworks that one expects over a city, not those of incoming missiles or air defence explosions...

The Barakah Nuclear Power Plant was the first commercial nuclear power plant to be built in the Arabian Peninsula and also the first in the Arab world. It has 4 reactors, for a total output of 5600 MW, the first having been commissioned in 2020.

On the occasion of the inauguration of the facility, Emirates Post issued on 25OCT2020 the 3 dirham stamp used on the postcard, which features a dusk or dawn picture of the facility, with the domes of the four reactors clearly visible.

The two coloured postmark was again applied at the Customer Happiness Centre of Dubai's Convention Centre.

COVER N. 710 - U.A.E.- UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Postmark: Customer Happiness Centre Dubai Convention Centre Emirates Post 04.02.2026

Posted on 4th of February;  Received on the 6th May 2026

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Ravindra sends me a cover from Dubai in the UAE.... Luckily he did not get caught in the disruption caused by yet another senseless and arguably illegal war that two and a half months later has only brought general economic uncertainty and particular suffering for those directly affected by military action, the more so in Iran and Lebanon, but also in other States of the Persian Gulf region.

Bohomȧ  sthoothi, Ravi.

The United Arab Emirates became independent from the United Kingdom in 1971. According to a timeline of  Emirates Post history that I consulted here, "Post offices open in the emirates of Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah" in 1963 and 1964.

This is probably the event that was considered as the founding moment for Postal Services in Abu Dhabi, which 50 years later was celebrated with the 4 stamp souvenir sheet that Ravi used on this cover, issued on 3'MAR2013.

Of note is the fact that the stamps carry no face value indication, this being indicated on the frame of the sheet, as a global 10 dirham. As such I presume the stamps could not be used individually... was that so?

The four stamps (or should I call them vignettes?)  are illustrated with photographs of postal treatment facilities in Abu Dhabi. The top right corner and bottom left one stamps feature the same building in different eras (1968, 1975), Could it be that the other two with photos form 1963 and 1993, also show the same facility, as it was originally and as it looked like in 1993?

Postmark from The Customer Happiness Centre (quite an uncommon designation for a service...) of the Dubai Convention Centre.

POSTCARD N.128 - U.A.E. - UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

postcard sent on the 12th December; received on the 20th December 2023

Postcard image: Greetings from UAE
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A popular postcard series and a much appreciated postcard in my letterbox, cortesy of the Consortium Phantom&Flying Dutchman Inc. Thanks a lot, guys. Truly nice!

The 3 dirham stamp was issued on 01JAN1973 as part of a 12 stamp set illustrated with the Flag, the Coat of Arms and photos from sights in the United Arab Emirates. This particular stamp carries an image of what I believe is the port of the  limestone quarry at  Khor Khwair, the biggest in the world, in Ras Al Khaimah, one of the seven Emirates federated in the State.

The bicolor postmark, carrying the Emirates Post logo originated at the Exchange Centre in Dubai

 POSTCARD N.78 - UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Postcrossing postcard sent on the 31st March; received on the 27th May

Postcard image: Connecting Minds, Creating the Future
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"Connecting Minds and Creating the Future’ through sustainability, mobility and opportunity. This was motto and the purpose of EXPO 2020, which was held in Dubai, UAE, from the 1st October 2021 till the 31st March 2022, after its opening having been postponed due to the ongoing pandemic.

World Expos are always a magnificent showcase for the future, Participating countries trying to impress the world with their most recent achievements in the fields of Science and Technology (broadly speaking) compete in notoriety, always with the underlying aim of fostering business opportunities for their own economies.

I was lucky to have one such expo in my own country - EXPO 98, dedicated to the oceans and even if it would not bring about anything more (and it did indeed ) than the terrific transformation that an old, derelict, polluted riverside area of our capital went through it would still be worth the effort. Lisbon was alive in a way it never had been until then,  and the event was very well received by the Portuguese People, who proudly spoke of the EXPO as one of those moments that will never be forgotten.

I remember being awed with all that I saw during my visits - Lisbon's Oceanário was the centre piece of the exhibition and is still a reference at world level -  and most especially to enjoy the many shows that took place everyday.

This was almost 25 years ago - that is to say, a quarter of a century. I can't even imagine what was on display in Dubai with the progress Technology has underwent in the past decades...

Anyway, I have to Thank Vijayan, a fellow Postcrosser, for having sent me this official EXPO 2020 Postcard, which I was very pleased to receive, the more so since it allows me to add another country to my Philatelic Atlas.

The stamp on the card is part of a five, 3 dirhams stamp set included in a souvenir sheet issued on the day of opening of the expo, 01-OCT2021, showcasing the 5 main nucleolus  of the EXPO: the Dubai Pavilion (my stamp), the Opportunity Pavilion; Al-Wasil Plaza; the Mobility Pavilion and the Sustainability Pavilion, which, incidentally, are also those that feature in the "Turtle" image of the Postcard.