UAE National Day stamps earn highest bid at 5th Annual Stamp Exhibition auction, held at Mega Mall, Sharjah

International exhibitors receive awards during gala dinner

Sharjah, UAE, 18 November,2014:A lot of three stamps, ‘Withdrawn stamp issue (3 stamps) of 6th National Day of the UAE’, achieved the highest bid of AED5,500 during the 5th Annual Stamp Exhibition’s auction. The lot, purchased by an Emirati bidder, was one of a number celebrating the history of philately in the region and beyond, up for auction in Mega Mall, Sharjah, alongside the 5th Annual Stamp Exhibition.

More than 70 bidders participated in the auction on November 14, predominantly from the GCC - especially Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

The 5th Annual Stamp Exhibition was inaugurated at Mega Mall on November 12, by Mohammed Al Murr, Speaker of the Federal National Council, joined by Abdulla Khoory, President of the Emirates Philatelic Association, and Saeed Bin Mohd Al Qassimi, Vice President of Mega Mall.

This year’s exhibition featured 73 exhibitors from across the GCC, as well as from Iraq and China. Dealers from GCC countries, Iraq, Yemen, Egypt, Pakistan, Lebanon, Latvia and the United States also participated, alongside Emirates Post, Saudi Post, Bahrain Post, and Oman Post.

Included amongst the exhibited stamps was the Penny Black, the world’s first adhesive postage stamp used in a public postal system, which was issued in 1840 in Great Britain. The displays charted a historic course through the region’s, and the world’s, postal system, demonstrating the evolution of philately over the years.

To mark the close of the exhibition, a gala dinner was held on November 15, in the presence of several senior officials, all the representatives from GCC, Iraq and China.

During the dinner, several awards were distributed to the exhibitors. The highest honour, Large Vermeil, was given to two exhibitors: Ali G. Al Rais from Kuwait earned Large Vermeil for his, ‘Kuwait Postal History (1878-1965)’, and Jamal Al Barazi from the UAE for his exhibition, ‘Syrian Army Postal Tax 1945-1950’. 

Eight Vermeil medals were distributed. These went to Mubarak Al Kahtani from Bahrain for his exhibition, ‘Hejaz and Najd Post Issue (1926); Ming Shi from China for his exhibition, ‘The efforts of the human into space’; Mohammed A Al-Kuwaiti from Kuwait for his exhibition, ‘King George V and George VI overprinted in Kuwait’; Hussain Rajab Al-Ismail from Qatar  for his exhibition, ‘Qatar Second Definitive Issue’; Ian Bridle from the UAE for his exhibition, ‘Republican Postal Stationery of Java During the Revolutionary Period of Indonesia (1945-1949)’; AllauudinAdwan from the UAE for his exhibition, ‘Palestine’s First Stamps of 1918 - The Blues’; Ramachandran PC for his exhibition, ‘Fiscal stamps of Kerala State, India’; Tarek Mokhtar from the UAE for his exhibition, ‘Shibin El-Kom Postmarks 1870-1922’.

Additionally, awards were presented to the Stamp Exhibition’s Jury, Commissioners, sponsors, and members of the Emirates Philatelic Association.

Abdulla Khoory, President of the Emirates Philatelic Association, said: “We would like to congratulate everyone on the completion of another highly successful Stamp Exhibition, which saw a phenomenal level of participation from across the world. The philatelic stories told throughout the 5th Annual Stamp Exhibition painted a picture of the history of our region and beyond, through this exciting medium.”

Saeed Bin Mohd Al Qassimi, Vice President of Mega Mall, said: “It was our pleasure to once more host the Annual Stamp Exhibition, future establishing Sharjah’s position as the nation’s hub for Islamic culture. The Stamp Exhibition proved once more to be a huge draw for fans of philately from across the UAE and further afield, and we look forward to hosting the 6th Annual Stamp Exhibition next year.”