Page 239 - The Postal Agencies in Eastern Arabia

In that month work began on the establishment of a base on Das
Island, mid-way between Abu Dhabi, to which the island belongs, and
Doha in Qatar. The island, previously uninhabited except by terns,
rarely visited even by fishermen, is only a milc-and-a-half long and three-
quarters ol a mile wide. Lxcept for a rocky outcrop at its northern end
it is only a few feet above sea level but it had the great advantage of
being only 20 miles from the Uinin Shaif structure; and from it, once
the base was established, exploratory drilling could be started.
The island could only provide rock and sand; and every other
type of construction material and supplies (even water in the early
stages!) had to be brought 170 miles by sea from Bahrain. In May
1956, the prospect was bleak; but, perhaps, the omens could be read
in the island's name - for “Das" means a “step" in the sense of a
“landing" or “foothold".
With the base established, drilling began in January 1958 and by
1960 the results were sufficiently encouraging for commercial production.
The first export from the Umm Shaif Field was loaded at the terminal
at Das Island in July 1962.
Prior to March 30th, 1963, there was no postal service in Abu
Dhabi, and the small amount of mail from A.D.P.C. was either sent to
the Company’s Office in Bahrain for despatch — in which case it bore
Bahrain stamps, or was sent across to Das Island, where it was handled
with the outgoing mail from A.D.M.A.

Mail from the construction workers on Das Island was initially
sent, by whatever means were available, to Bahrain for despatch; but
at some time, probably before December 1960, a supply of G.B.
(Q.E.II) surcharged only NP or RUPEES, as used in Muscat and Dubai,
was sent to the island. These were used to frank outgoing mail which
was sent to the Office of the British Postal Superintendent in Bahrain
for despatch, the stamps being cancelled there with a BAHRAIN
date-stamp.

The earliest known apparent such use was December 1st, 1960,
with the Bahrain Type 26 canceller; but it should be remembered that
the ‘Value Only’ stamps were also valid for general use in Bahrain,
and Das Island origin can only be certain if the cover bears some

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