2021 was a big year for the UAE –  their 50th anniversary. For those not familiar with the United Arab Emirates, the nation was formed by 7 emirates Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah, December 1971, with Ras al Khaimah joining in 1972.  You can learn more about the UAE here History of the UAE – The Official Portal of the UAE Government. 

For cancel lovers, the UAE offers some nice cancels to pick over. I especially liked the September Stone-Curlew/Houbara one.

UAE cancels tick all my boxes – clean lines, easily identifiable topics and interesting designs. It takes a special skill to create such tiny works of art. And that brings me to my one complaint. UAE’s postal authorities offer no details about artist and designers. Not crediting artists should be a crime. If you happen to have any info, pass it along in the comments. 

As well, if you have any interesting links to the history of the region, feel free to post it as well. I’d like to add details to this page about the history an culture of the area and would appreciate any help readers can offer. 

April

UAE Nation Brand logo

7 stamps on a souvenir sheet, FDC, cancel
offset lithography

Release date: April 11, 2021

July

Inauguration of the Khor Fakkan Amphitheater

3 stamps on a sheet, souvenir sheet, 2 FDCs, cancel, postcard 
offset lithography

Release date: July 7, 2021

September

Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center : Birds

2 stamps on a sheet, FDC, cancel
offset lithography

• Houbara Bustard (Chlamydotis undulata) – Houbara Bustard – eBird
• Stone-Curlew (Burhinidae sp) – Burhinidae – Stone-curlews, Thick-knees | Lee’s Birdwatching Adventures Plus (leesbird.com)

New Home – Hamdan Bin Mohammad Heritage Center (hhc.gov.ae)

Release date: September 5, 2021

October

Expo 2020, Dubai 2021

5 stamps on a sheet, souvenir sheet
offset lithography

Expo 2020 Dubai | Home | Connecting Minds, Creating the Future | Expo 2020 Dubai

Release date: October 1, 2021

UAE-Kazakhstan Joint Issue : Independence Anniversaries

2 stamps, FDC, cancel
offset lithography

Release date: October 10, 2021

November

Saruq al-Hadid Archaeological Finds

3 stamps on a souvenir sheet, FDC, cancel
offset lithography

• pottery storage jar
• gold crown model
• gold ring

Saruq al-Hadid has been inhabited for thousands of years, starting with the Umm Al Nar period (2600–2000 BCE). Try the links below to learn more. 

Brushing off sands of time at the archaeological site of Saruq al-Hadid (thenationalnews.com)

Saruq Al Hadid | A Unique Archaeological Site In Dubai (dayoutdubai.ae)

Release date: November 4, 2021

Muhammad Bin Rashid Al-Maktum Creative Sports Award

1 stamp, sheet of 4, FDC, cancel
offset lithography

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award announced (paralympic.org)

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award Ceremony | World Expo (virtualexpodubai.com)

Release date: November 23, 2021

December

National Day 2021

2 stamps, sheet of 16, FDC, cancel
offset lithography

Release date: December 2, 2021

Emirates Rulers of 1971 and 2021

6 stamps
offset lithography

• Shaykh Khalid bin Zayid al-Nahyan of Abu Dhabi
• Shaykh Muhammad bin Rashid al-Maktum of Dubai
• Shaykh Sultan bin Muhammad al-Qasimi of Sharjah
• Shaykh Humayd bin Rashid al-Nu`aymi of Ajman
• Shaykh Sa`ud bin Rashid al-Mu`alla of Umm al-Qiwain
• Shaykh Hamad bin Muhammad al-Sharqi of Fujeira

Release date: December 12, 2021

Ministry of Interior, 50 Years

2 stamps, FDC, cancel
offset lithography

Release date: December 21, 2021

Jabal Jays | جَبَل جَيْس

2 stamps on a souvenir sheet
offset lithography

Also written as Jebel Jais

The UAE’s highest peak, Jebel Jais is part of the spectacular Hajar mountains that were formed over 70 million years ago in the eastern part of Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates and Oman. Towering at 1,934 m above sea level, Jebel Jais boasts breath-taking vistas, thrilling adventures, and a welcome respite from the heat with temperatures around ten degrees cooler than sea level. | Jebel Jais, Ras Al KhaimahJebel Jais, Ras Al Khaimah (visitjebeljais.com)

Release date: December 22, 2021

Sports Achievement of the United Arab Emirates

6 stamps on 2 sheets, souvenir sheet, FDC, cancel
offset lithography

Release date: December 27, 2021

Why not wander over to the 2022 stamp lists and pick out a new country to visit 2022 Stamps by country & theme | Bitter Grounds Magazine?

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