Katara International Arabia Horse Festival

We didn't have to wait long for the first new stamp issue in 2025, which, according to sources, will soon include quite a few new stamp issues.

The image below shows the stamps issued to coincide with the opening of the Katara International Arabia Horse Festival (now in its fifth re-iteration). This is the first time the festival includes the premier show, elevating the event even further on the world stage. The total prize money for this year's events is 13,000,000 Qatari Riyals (US $3,500,000).

More than 500 horses were on display, coming from eight countries in the region: Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.

So what makes the Arabian Horse such a unique and loved animal?

The Arabian Horse is one of the oldest horse breeds in the world. It was domesticated by the Bedouins and used for all the functions one would attribute to horses worldwide, from transport to hunting and for military advantage to the sheer pleasure of riding a horse.

The Arabian Horse is elegant, compact, and strong, which bestows them a high endurance and, therefore, can travel long distances. They characteristically have a concave profile, broad foreheads and large nostrils (speculated to allow them to survive in desert conditions) and prominent eyes. They stand out quickly with their proud tails standing high. Both the tail and mane have abundant hair.

Surprisingly, today, the largest population of Arabian Horses in the world is America.

Qatar, with its long affiliation to horses from very early on in its history, yearly holds several equestrian events such as:

• Doha Tour 1 - 9-11 January;
• Doha Tour 2 - 16-18 January;
• Doha Tour 3 - 23-25 January;
• Al Shaqab Pony Club Fun Day - 1 February;
• H. H. The Amir's Sword International Equestrian Festival - 13-15 February;
• CHI Al Shaqab Presented by Longines - 20-22 February;
• Longines Global Champions Tour - 27 February - 1 March;
• Eid Al Adha Festival - 18-20 June;
• Al Shaqab Auction 12 July;
• Al Shaqab Training Show - 20 September;
• Al Shaqab Training Show - 4 October;
• Al Shaqab International Arabia Horse Show - 6-9 November.

 

Solidarity with Gaza

It has been a long time since Q-Post issued two new stamp designs in such a short time that I'm struggling to keep up.

This is yet another issue concerning Qatar's solidarity with the Palestinian people. This particular stamp was designed by a Jordanian woman and shows a little boy, wearing the classic Palestinian headscarf, looking through a hole in the wall. We see the glimmer of hope shining through that tiny hole, with the Palestinian flag and three white doves symbolising peace surrounding the flag.

Commercial Bank 50th Anniversary

Just back from the Sharjah Stamp Exhibition 2024 - a great event - more news soon.

But now I must report on a new and beautifully designed stamp issued by Qatar in celebration of Commercial Bank's 50th Anniversary.

1967 - Apollo Moon Landing, US Lunar Research Program

Sometimes, simply looking at a set of stamps doesn't reveal the whole story.

This is true for this particular set. The title of the Qatar stamp set is:
Apollo Moon Landing, US Lunar Research Program

But the stamp not only portrays the critical steps towards a successful Moon landing - which would only be accomplished a few years later but also tells of a more deadly incident in the Lunar Exploration that is less known.

See the image below to learn more.

UPU's 150th Anniversary

Along with most countries around the globe, today, Qatar issued a set of stamps to celebrate the UPU's 150th Anniversary.

Cable and Wireless - Qatar

 Another interesting cover. This one relates to the events leading to the creation of today's Ooredoo.

75 Years of Qatar Armed Forces

New Qatar Stamp issue celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the Qatar Armed Forces.

This is the second stamp set related to the armed forces. The first was issued in 1960; I mentioned it on a blog on August 10th, 2021.

https://stamps-of-qatar.blogspot.com/2021/08/qatar-stamps-issued-in-1969-qatar.html

A cover from Qatar using King George VI Olympic Games stamps.

In my first published book, on page 219, I showcased a very rare King George VI Olympic Games stamp with a Qatar-type datestamp (Doha). However, at that time, I was unable to display a cover featuring those stamps from Qatar.

I can now rectify that omission, as depicted on the slide below.

CICO Engineering

Qatar Post issued a new stamp set at the beginning of this month. It was sponsored by one of Qatar's oldest and most influential engineering companies - CICO Consulting Engineers.

The company has been around for some five decades, and these are not the Qatar stamps that feature some of their creations, as shall be seen below.

Commercial Cover from 1960's

Work is progressing on Book 2 of my collection, but this has slowed down my regular posts - I apologise for this.

Below is a commercial cover from one of Qatar's oldest companies.

Hope you enjoy it.

Jakarta 2024 Asian International Stamp Exhibition & Competition

The Jakarta 2024 Asian International Stamp Exhibition & Competition has ended, and Qatar's participation, as usual, was marked by a few awards, as can be seen below.

Congratulations to all participants.

10th Anniversary of the Joaan bin Jassim Academy for Defence Studies.

After a short summer break - back to some philatelic news.

On July 4th, a new stamp was issued in Qatar to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Joaan bin Jassim Academy for Defence Studies.

It's worth noting that the issue coincided with the academy's annual graduation ceremony, adding a special touch to the event.

The issued stamps are full of symbology, some of which are described in the slides below.

Second known Stamp dealer residing in Qatar in the 1960s.

 Friendship covers from Qatar are relatively rare, but finding one with parts of its contents is even rarer.

Here is one such example, which gives us a little insight into the philatelic market in Qatar in the early 1960s.

1996 Definitive Stamp Issue - New Discovery

Sometimes, the luckiest of us find one rare stamp, stumble onto an unknown stamp, or discover that mysterious stamp missing from our collection.

Today, I report not on one or two but on three stamps issued in 2006, which were discovered only on May 8, 2024.

It appears that since the previous stocks hadn't been exhausted, these stamps remained in the treasury.

As part of this discovery, I would like to clarify the issue dates of these stamps. This is a crucial step in ensuring the accuracy of our collections and the historical record of these stamps.

The first image below shows the story as it stood until May 8 of this year, showing all 23 known stamps.

I had an issue with the 5 Riyals (Dull Ultramarine) stamps facing left that was attributed to 2006, as highlighted on slide 2.

But with the three new stamps now discovered, all facing to the right, clearly the previous question, must belong to the 2005 re-issue. So, the final slide has the complete collection as of today with the appropriate dates. To ensure collectors can correctly place their stamps, I have included the colour definition of each stamp.

The series as was known until May 8th, 2024

My concern with the one stamp

Full collection as known today

A quick preview of book 1

The book is available for purchase. 

It is a large format (36x27 cm) and has approximately 460 full-colour pages.

It weighs 3.3 kg

The book cost Qr 250

Plus shipping EMS - 3.5kg

USA QR 325

EUROPE QR 325

UAE QR190

Egypt QR230

Qatar QR 76

 

Book 1

Proud to announce that my first book on Qatar Philately just got published.

Using philately, it takes the reader on a tour of Qatar's history from the Stone Age to 1960.

It took me around three years to complete the research and prepare the manuscript. It is in a very large format, so the documents supporting the story can be easily read.

The Qatar Philatelic and Numismatic Club facilitated its publication and was funded by the Al Faisal Global Foundation for Culture and Knowledge.

Once again, I extend my sincere appreciation to all who are involved in the project.

The origins of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU)

The ITU resulted from the fast implementation of the telegraph lines throughout Europe. The convention regulating the tariffs across borders was signed in Paris on the 17th of May 1865 by twenty-one nations.

The ITU's centenary was celebrated worldwide with the issuance of 220 stamps by 100 countries and the United Nations.

Click on the images below to learn more.

The start of Qatar Boys Scouts Movement

 Here are three Qatar stamps from the 1960s showing the start of the Qatar Boys Scouts Movement.

1976 Satelite Earth Station Issue and Variation on an unique cover

Continuing from the last post, another cover featuring the complete 1976 Earth Station stamp issuing and the 55 Dirham variation.

Elaborate philatelic covers

Knowing what to look for allows us to identify same rarer covers that might otherwise seem simply elaborate philatelic covers with little collectible value.

The below is one such example.