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.