Abu Dhabi launches nationwide open call to design official Eid Al Etihad 55 commemorative stamp

Abu Dhabi: Under the chairwomanship of H.H. Sheikha Shamsa bint Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Design Commission Abu Dhabi (DCAD), in partnership with Emirates Post, has launched a nationwide open call inviting UAE nationals and residents to submit designs for the official Eid Al Etihad 55 commemorative postage stamp. Under the overarching narrative 'Be Part of History', the initiative invites UAE Nationals and residents, including professional designers, visual artists, illustrators, graphic designers, university students, and emerging creatives from across the UAE, to contribute to a lasting expression of the nation’s identity, achievements, and aspirations. Through this competition, the UAE's creative community has the opportunity to help shape how the nation's story is captured and celebrated through design. Established in 2025 with a mandate to advance Abu Dhabi-owned intellectual property and cultivate sustainable creative industries, DCAD creates opportunities for designers and creative practitioners to develop their capabilities, engage with the industry, and contribute to the UAE's growing creative economy. The open call extends this mandate into a nationally significant platform for creative participation, giving people across the UAE an opportunity to play a role in shaping the country's visual history. For generations, postage stamps have documented significant national moments, capturing elements of culture, identity, and progress in a format that travels beyond borders. The Eid Al Etihad 55 commemorative stamp will continue this tradition, creating a lasting record of the UAE at 55 and allowing the creative community to help shape how this milestone is represented. Submissions are encouraged to reflect the spirit of the UAE through themes including its people, culture, innovation, heritage, ambitions, and vision for the future. Entrants may draw inspiration from areas such as architecture, nature, technology, community, and national identity, with creative interpretation encouraged within the final technical and brand guidelines provided by Emirates Post. Submissions are encouraged to reflect the spirit of the UAE through themes including its people, culture, innovation, heritage, ambitions, and vision for the future. Picture credit: WAM Participation rules Participation in the open call is subject to the applicable competition terms and conditions, including eligibility, submission, intellectual property and data protection requirements. Emirates Post reserves the right to approve and make necessary technical or other modifications to the winning design to meet applicable technical, postal, production and branding requirements, in accordance with the applicable competition terms and conditions. Each applicant may submit one entry comprising a minimum of three and a maximum to six designs, all based on a consistent theme. Entries must be accompanied by the story or concept behind the work. Applications will be accepted until 7 October 2026, followed by a committee evaluation in October 2026 by representatives from the DCAD and Emirates Post boards. Three entries will be selected as finalists, and the winning entry will be announced on 3 November 2026. Prizes announced Subject to Emirates Post’s final approval and applicable postal/technical requirements and applicable competition terms and conditions, including the intellectual property rights granted to Emirates Post and/or DCAD in relation to the winning design, Emirates Post will finalise the design’s development, production and issuance as the official Eid Al Etihad 55 commemorative stamp, with the three finalists receiving cash prizes of AED10,000 for first place, AED7,000 for second place and AED3,000 for third place. The official stamp will be launched as part of Eid Al Etihad 55, marking the culmination of an initiative that places creative participation at the centre of a significant national moment. Through the partnership, DCAD and Emirates Post aim to create a lasting cultural symbol that reflects the UAE's story while recognising the role of its creative community in shaping how that story is expressed for future generations. Applications can be submited through this link: https://www.dcad.ae/emirates-post-55-stamp.