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Arabian Post
6 days ago
- General
- Arabian Post
Navigating Mail Delivery in the UAE: A Guide for New Residents
Arabian Post Staff For expatriates settling into the United Arab Emirates, understanding the country's unique postal system is essential. Unlike many nations that utilize traditional postal codes, the UAE primarily relies on a Post Office Box system for mail distribution. This approach reflects the country's infrastructural evolution and its emphasis on centralized mail collection points. In the UAE, individuals and businesses typically rent P.O. Boxes from Emirates Post, the national postal service provider. These boxes serve as the primary address for receiving mail. When sending correspondence to someone in the UAE, the address format generally includes the recipient's name, P.O. Box number, city, and the country designation. For instance: ADVERTISEMENT Ahmed Al Mansoori P.O. Box 12345 Dubai United Arab Emirates This system ensures that mail is directed to a specific box at a designated post office, where recipients can collect their items at their convenience. It's important to note that standard mail services do not offer door-to-door delivery to physical street addresses. Consequently, residents without a P.O. Box may face challenges in receiving regular mail. When completing online forms or international shipping documents that mandate a postal code, UAE residents often use placeholder codes such as '00000' or '99999.' These codes are not tied to any geographic location within the country but are used to satisfy system requirements. The critical component for successful delivery remains the accurate P.O. Box number. For courier and express parcel services, deliveries to physical addresses are more common. In such cases, providing a detailed address—including building name, street name, apartment or villa number—is essential. Additionally, including a contact telephone number is crucial, as delivery personnel often rely on phone communication to confirm locations or arrange handovers. In Dubai, the Makani system assigns a unique 10-digit number to every building, facilitating precise location identification for deliveries. Emirates Post operates numerous Customer Happiness Centers across the UAE, catering to various postal and non-postal needs. Standard operating hours for these centers are from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday. However, some centers, especially in major cities like Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah, extend their hours until 8:00 PM on weekdays. It's advisable to check the specific timings of your nearest center before planning a visit. Beyond mail services, Emirates Post offers a range of additional services beneficial to residents. One notable offering is the issuance of International Driving Permits . In collaboration with the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE, Emirates Post facilitates the application process for IDPs at all its branches. Applicants need to provide a completed IDP form, a valid UAE driving license, original passport, Emirates ID, and a passport-sized photograph. The service fee is AED 170, and the permit is typically issued within five minutes.
Metro
24-04-2025
- Metro
The world's narrowest city, where residents use ‘every inch of space available'
If you're claustrophobic, you might want to think twice before visiting Yanjin. Located on the banks of the Heng River in a valley between two steep mountains, it's widely thought to be the narrowest city in the world. At its narrowest, Yanjin, in China's Yunnan Province, measures just 30 metres wide – equivalent to the length of three London buses – while the widest part is 300 metres. And despite how tight some spaces are, the area is estimated to be home to around 400,000 people. Once a relatively unknown city in China, Yanjin has been gaining popularity on social media, with viewers fascinated by its compact layout and sprawling mountain views. Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration. Sign up here. Traveller Drew Binsky – who recently shared his experience visiting the city on YouTube – claimed that in certain areas 'you can almost shake hands with your neighbours from across the alley'. In the video, he showed its array of high-rise buildings crammed beside each other, describing the way residents 'make the most of every inch of space available' as 'truly mind-blowing'. Two strips of land run along either side of the river banks in Yanjin, with just a few bridges running along the murky brown water to connect the two sides. Due to its precarious location, the city's lower areas are often threatened by floods during the rainy season, while its steep mountainsides are prone to landslides. To handle these extreme weather events, many of the city's buildings stand on tall pillars – and the design has the added benefit of being a great space saver. Although Yanjin's main draw is its unique layout, tourists can find plenty to keep them occupied. Dousha, the city's old town, boasts quaint, narrow streets and traditional buildings. It's also surrounded by picturesque mountainous, which can be viewed from the many pedestrian bridges crossing the river. One YouTube traveller, who goes by Little Chinese Everywhere, describes the landscape as 'spectacular'. Or, if sampling the local cuisine is more your thing, there are also plenty of local markets and food stalls to enjoy delicacies like cross-bride rice noodles and steam pot chicken. Bear in mind though, getting to Yanjin isn't easy. The journey involves a combination of long train rides – and road tripping isn't an option, as China doesn't recognise foreign driver's licences or International Driving Permits (IDP). Most travellers take the high-speed bullet train to Kunming, the provincial capital, from major cities such as Shanghai, Beijing or Hong Kong. Once you arrive in Kunming, a long-distance bus (around a six-hour ride one-way) makes up the last leg of the trip to the county itself. Travellers can find more information on bus routes, times and ticket prices by contacting local travel agents, such as Yunnan Exploration. Tourism in China has been booming in recent years, and formerly under the radar places like Yanjin are gaining more and more traction, largely thanks to social media. Though international tourism figures haven't quite surpassed pre-pandemic levels, according to China Daily, the industry saw 'remarkable developments' and 'unprecedented growth this year'. Throughout 2024, holidays including the country's National Day Golden Week, from October 1 to 7, led to surges in domestic and international tourism. More Trending According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, a total of 765 million domestic trips were made in China, marking a 5.9% increase year-on-year and a 10.2% rise compared to 2019. Harbin Ice and Snow World, a unique ice and snow festival in Heilongjiang province, also saw an influx of tourists. Attractions in the iconic ice city, recognised by Guinness World Records as the world's largest temporary ice and snow theme park, welcomed around 30,000 visitors daily since its opening on December 19, nearly doubling pre-pandemic numbers. Yanjin isn't the only unexpected area to become popular as a result of social either. The city of Tianshui in Northwest China's Gansu province welcomed 4.64 million tourists in March alone last year after a resident's video of its signature dish, the fiery malatang hotpot, was viewed by millions online. Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ MORE: European gem that's 'better than Monaco' is 23°C in May with £55 flights MORE: China plans to build nuclear plant on the moon to power base shared with Russia MORE: The 'bucketlist' UK town that had starring role in iconic 00s TV show
