Emirates Post participates under GCC umbrella in 'Washington 2006' stamp exhibition

Individual postal organisations from each GCC state showcased their heritage of stamps and postal history at the major event. The UAE, as head of the GCC joint participation committee, highlighted its rich collection of stamps and postal history since 1971.

"The postal directorates of the GCC have decided to boost joint participation in international philatelic events as part of solidarity moves. The participation of all six countries under the GCC banner was highly significant and helped visitors appreciate the culture and philatelic excellence of each state," said Mr. Abdulla Al Daboos, Director General, Emirates Post, head of the UAE delegation.

The UAE delegation included Mr. Abdulla Al Fan, Assistant Director General, Development & Marketing, Mohammed al Doukhi, Director, Construction & Maintenance, Abdulla bin Shaker, head of International Relations, and the Emirates Philately team comprising Mr. Omer Mohammed and Khalid Oudah.

Postal heads from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the UAE were present at the exhibition. Each country organised several events to promote individual collections, attended by diplomatic representatives, including Mr. Jassim Al Housani, Undersecretary at the UAE Embassy in Washington.

The U.S. Postal Service commemorated the world's largest stamp show by issuing the Washington 2006 souvenir sheet on Memorial Day. The commemorative stamp sheet contained reproductions of three historic United States postage stamps originally issued in 1923 -- the $1 Lincoln Memorial, the $2 U.S. Capitol and the $5 Statue of Freedom that stands atop the Capitol's dome.

Washington 2006, which was under planning for nearly ten years, was organized by Washington Philatelic Exhibition, under the auspices of the American Philatelic Society. The show featured 3,800 frames of competitive exhibits by collectors from around the world and a 500-frame "Court of Honor," including the world's rarest philatelic items.

The highlight of the event was Philatelic gems from the Prince of Monaco's Collection which appeared in the Court of Honor. The items spanned the philatelic history of Monaco, with emphasis on issues depicting the late Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace in honor of what would have been their 50th wedding anniversary in 2006.