DUBAI (UAE): Nepali philatelists have won five medals, including a prestigious Gold, at the Dubai 2026 FIP Specialised World Stamp Exhibition.
Dr. Ashok Rana has clinched the top award for his exhibit “Perkins, Bacon Issues of Nepal 1907-1935”, scoring 90 points from an international jury. Binod Krishna Shrestha’s “The Evolution of Nepalese Postal Stationery, 1887-1958” and Kavya Tulsyan’s “Locally Printed Stamps of Nepal: 1959-1961” have earned Vermeil medals with scores of 82 and 81, respectively.
Two other Nepal Philatelic Society members, Saru Shrestha and Sarva Pradhan, have received Large Silver medals for “Nepal: Meter Franking – Evolution and Usage” (78 points) and “Aerogrammes Issued by HMG/Nepal, 1959-1994” (77 points).
The Palmares, held on Saturday evening, saw a total of 101 Gold and 44 Large Gold medal winners. The five-day event, hosted at the Dubai World Trade Centre, attracted participants from 76 countries. The exhibition featured over 2,000 frames and drew hundreds of guests and award winners, according to FIP, the world’s governing body of philately. On display were thousands of rare and valuable stamps, offering collectors a platform for cultural dialogue and the exchange of philatelic expertise.
Germany’s Johannes Bornmann won a Large Gold medal for his exhibit “Nepal, Pre-Philately and Classic”, the only international entry focused on Nepal, scoring 95 points.
The Grand Prix International was awarded to Tarik Alireza of Turkey for his exhibit “Forerunners of Saudi Arabia (1916–1925): Postage stamps of the Kingdom of Hijaz, the Sultanate of Najd, and the Kingdom of Hijaz & Najd.” Emirati philatelist Abdulla Khoory received the Grand Prix National for “Abu Dhabi: From Trucial States to UAE”. He was presented the award by FIP Honorary President Tay Peng Hian.
Organised by the Emirates Philatelic Association, this was the first FIP-patronage World Stamp Exhibition in the Gulf region and coincided with the federation’s centenary celebrations.
