ABU DHABI // Special postage stamps were issued by the UAE’s postal authority to mark International Happiness Day on Monday.
Emirates Post has released eight commemorative Dh2 stamps featuring images including the UAE flag, the sun, a date palm and a smiley face.
Under each image messages have been included such as ‘friendliness’, ‘emotional connectedness’, ‘quest for knowledge and wisdom’ and ‘unity and love for country’.
The designs were created by children and based on themes from the UAE’s happiness and positivity programme created in March 2016.
The Minister of State for Happiness, Ohood Al Roumi, said such initiatives would contribute to spreading happiness and positivity among people.
The stamps were unveiled at the Emirates Towers lobby where they were distributed among those in attendance, enabling them to send messages to friends and family in the country and abroad.
“Emirates Post Group aims to spread happiness and positivity concepts locally and internationally, through these special stamps,” said acting chief executive Abdullah Alashram.
He said stamps are a great medium to send a message which would reach different countries and cultures.
The UAE has climbed seven places in this year’s World Happiness Report to 21st happiest country from a list of 155.
Last year’s 28th placing was down from 14th in 2013.
Norway topped this year’s list with Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland and Finland making the top five.
Qatar ranked 35th with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait also ranking within the top 40 happiest countries.
newsdesk@thenational.ae
