دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة
United Arab Emirates
Quick reference
General issues: Federation 1971-Present
Country name on general issues: United Arab Emirates, U.A.E.
Currency: 1 Dirham = 100 Fils 1971-Present
Population: 279 000 in 1971, 8 264 000 in 2010
Political history United Arab Emirates
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The United Arab Emirates are located on the Arabian peninsula in western Asia. The United Arab Emirates are a federation of seven emirates: Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al-Qaiwain. These emirates are collectively known as the Trucial States. The Trucial States have, from 1820, signed treaties of protection with Great Britain. The interest of Great Britain was to protect the trade routes to British India – mainly against piracy. The interest of the emirates was to ward off Ottoman interest in the region. The treaties all expired in 1971. The newly independent emirates subsequently joined to form the United Arab Emirates, Ras al-Khaima joining in 1972.
The United Arab Emirates are a federation of absolute monarchies with a president as head of state. As Abu Dhabi was the driving force behind the establishment of the United Arab Emirates, the emir of Abu Dhabi is the president of the federation. The borders of the United Arab Emirates have long been undefined. The border with Oman was agreed upon in 1999. The border with Saudi Arabia was agreed upon in 1974, but has yet to be ratified.
Abu Dhabi and Dubai have developed rapidly since the discovery of vast oil resources in the 1960’s. Dubai has, in recent decades, diversified and has also developed a large service sector, mainly in banking and tourism. The other emirates rely on their traditional economic activities – fishing and agriculture – and are recently diversifying in industry, trade and tourism.
Postal history United Arab Emirates
1982 – National Day
The first post office to be opened in the United Arab Emirates was in Dubai in 1909. This office was run by the British Indian postal services, the stamps of British India were used. After the independence of British India, the postal service in Dubai becomes part of that of Pakistan from 1947 until 1948. In 1948, the postal service is taken over by the British Postal Agencies in Eastern Arabia that also serviced other emirates in the region. The stamps used were the ‘value only’ issues – British stamps overprinted in the local currency. These are generally listed in the catalogs under Oman.
In Abu Dhabi the first postal services are established, in 1960, on Das island to service the employees in the developing oil industry on the island. These services were set up as a branch of the Bahrain services also run by the British Postal Agencies in Eastern Arabia. The first post office in Abu Dhabi itself is opened in 1963.
In 1961, a set of stamps was issued by the Agencies inscribed ‘Trucial States’, specifically for use in the Trucial States. Effectively, these were used in the office in Dubai, and as offices were opened in these emirates in 1963, also in Ajman, Fujairah and Umm al-Qaiwain. Abu Dhabi rejected the use of the issues for the Trucial States. From 1963, the issues for the Trucial States were superseded by the issues of the separate emirates.[1]The issues of several emirates, since 1965, are disputed. Scott does not list them, Stanley Gibbons lists the issues from 1967 in the Appendix issues. The individual emirates issue stamps until 1972. All individual issues are, in 1973, superseded by the issues of the United Arab Emirates.
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