Emirates Post has issued commemorative stamps to mark the 10th anniversary of Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences.

Issued in four denominations along with a distinctive souvenir sheet, the stamps are available at all post offices in the UAE. In addition, first-day covers are available at the philatelic counters of Karama, Deira and Abu Dhabi post offices.

“The Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences is one of the prestigious awards of the UAE, and the medical fraternity attaches great importance to it. Emirates Post is proud to salute the Award through a set of distinctive stamps on its tenth anniversary,” said CEO of Emirates Post Ibrahim Bin Karam.

“As the Dubai consolidates its position on the global healthcare map, we are confident that the Award will gain greater prestige in years to come.”

As part of the 10th anniversary celebrations, a special exhibition opened on Tuesday at the Intercontinental Hotel, Dubai Festival City. Emirates Post will exhibit the new stamps as well as other stamps at the exhibition which will conclude on Wednesday.

Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences was established in 1999 to honour medical scientists from every part of the world who tirelessly pursue distinctive medical research that serves the larger interest of humanity.

The initial focus of the foundation was on two major categories, the International and National categories. In the international category, there were three sections: the Grand Hamdan Award, three Research Excellence Awards and four awards for volunteers in humanitarian medical services. 

In subsequent years, an additional category of the Arab World Award was introduced, followed by another award under UAE category - for best Clinical Department in the public sector.

A milestone was the opening of a centre for genetic research as a part of the research support in the UAE. The Centre for Arab Genomic Studies was established in 2003.

Another milestone in the history of the foundation was the launch of a New Medical Journal during the Award Ceremony of 2005-2006 Journal of Medical Sciences. The first official issue was published in January 2008. – TradeArabia News Service