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29 March 2024

Snail mail alive and well in UAE: 750,000 posts received every day

Published
By Joseph George

The demand for handwritten mails and traditional postal service is gaining momentum. According to Emirates Post about 750,000 posts are delivered across the UAE daily.

“The number of emails and SMS messages might have increased but there is no stopping the age-old postal delivery either,” said says Ibrahim bin Karam, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), Emirates Post Group.

He was speaking during the launch of new PO Box facilities that would enable door-to-door delivery of mails in Dubai and Abu Dhabi from January 1.

The service will be expanded to include other emirates at a later stage based on the demand.

“We decided to launch the facility based on its demand. More individuals want to have their own address and want the mails delivered to them, rather than receive it to their office PO Box,” said Karam.

The new PO Box bundles is divided into four categories: My Home – for those residing in villas (priced at Dh700); My Building -  for those living in apartments, (Dh450); My Zone – for those living in an area where there is a no post office but want mails delivered to  a closest point in their locality, (Dh300); and My Box – for those using PO Box facility at the neighboring post office, (Dh200).

Special PO Box shelters will be built in localities with no post offices for the My Zone service.

Karam also said they are already in negotiations with major developers such as Emaar, Dubai Properties, Nakheel, Al Wasl and Mubadala for installation of PO Box facilities in the buildings.

“Building with individual owners can also place a request with Emirates Post and will install it for free. However, we need a minimum of 50 subscribers,” he added.

‘My Home’ service allows residents of villas to have a personal mail-box installed on their compound wall, so that mail can be delivered directly to and collected from their doorstep. The service is delivered three times a week for Dh700 per year. An additional Dh500 is charged for increasing the duration to six times a week.