Stamps, first day covers and shipping of books keep its sales buoyant at the counter
Andreas Engelhardt, a visitor from Germany at the 43rd Sharjah International Book Fair, is at the Emirates Post booth to make enquiries about sending 30 kg of books to his hometown. He is not the only one; the UAE’s official postal services provider and postal arm of 7X, which is a regular at SIBF, has been receiving good business be it in selling first day covers and stamps or shipping books domestically and internationally.
Emirates Post has been giving exclusive offers – such as a nominal AED 25 for up to 20 kg on domestic flat-rate shipping and a 15% discount on international express shipping which includes a door-to-door delivery within seven days to over 165 countries.
Children accompanied by parents have been busy obtaining commemorative stamps as a timeless souvenir, the most recent being the ones with images of books and the scroll sculpture at the House of Wisdom library in Sharjah issued on behalf of SIBF and the Sharjah Private Education Authority. Priced at AED 12 for a set of four stamps, they are the perfect choice for collectors and book lovers since they serve as a unique reminder of one’s time at the book fair.
There is a 2023 trio of the Mohammed bin Rashid library in Dubai, a 2021 set of the Khorfakkan Amphitheatre; the oldest pearl in the world from Umm al Quwain and the Sharjah Mosque from 2019. The first-day covers include a beautiful image of a King Fish issued on November 1, 2024; University of Sharjah with an image of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah; and one dedicated to the memory of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE, on his 100th birth anniversary in 2018. A lenticular print with five changing images of UAE leaders – the late Sheikh Zayed; the late Sheikh Khalifa Al Nahyan; the late Sheikh Rashid al Maktoum of Dubai; HH President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan; and HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai.
According to the Emirates Post team, who are active at the exhibition answering customer queries and promoting their services, the sales of stamps at SIBF has been encouraging since day one.
The buzz in the booth is reflective of Emirates Post’s desire to adapt and move with the times. In the era of digital communication where social media has eaten into the business of traditional communications systems, Emirates Post has managed to remain relevant by incorporating digitisation into its service offerings and supporting the national agenda towards a SMART government system with many digital initiatives set to be introduced in 2025.
Emirates Post is here to stay, and its popularity at SIBF 2024 is a sign of the organisation staying relevant while moving towards paperless operations.
SIBF 2024, which will run until November 17, has opened its doors to over 2,520 publishers from 112 countries, and is celebrating Morocco as the Guest of Honour. The 12-day cultural extravaganza, organised by the Sharjah Book Authority, is themed ‘It Starts with a Book’, and has in store 1,357 activities for children and adults alike.