I just received an address to the UAE (my first one!), and it includes what appears to be a phone number. (Starts with a UAE country code) I’m not sure if I feel comfortable putting a phone number down on a post card. Is this common for UAE? Should I message the person or Postcrossing for help? Thanks.
Just write as it is. The address is already reviewed by Postcrossing team. I also got an address of China member with phone number.
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My rule of thumb: the addressee knows their address the best. I had addresses with phone numbers, stall numbers, initial letters instead names, all cards arrived safely 
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Thank you!
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Usually this is done for places without home delivery (or POBoxes and sometimes poste restante) where they ring the person to warn that there is mail for them.
If I’m not confusing countries, I think UAE is one place where home mail delivery is actually uncommon (or expensive to have) and most addresses are actually P.O. Boxes. But maybe @GermanInArabia is able to correct me on this?
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@yudi is right. Members who have an address via a PO box state their telephone number. If the mail is not collected, they will be called by the post office. They can indicate this. It’s safe. I have several addresses with a phone number, from China, on my address list regarding my Round Robins. ( as a host 
)
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Dear @GrapeGirl
Dear @paulo
I have been living in the UAE and other countries in region for the past 25 years.
We don’t have street-addresses or even street names in most of the countries in the Middle East.
In order to receive mail, we need to rent a P.O. Box. The recipient needs to check her/his mailbox regularly. The Post Office will not call to inform about mail arriving or if the mailbox is full.
Renting a P.O. Box is quite expensive though (ca. 65 USD per year), so some people give their employers’ mailbox address with an additional line after the company name: c/o (= care of). But no worries, mail arrives!
The only times a mobile number on the address is needed is if
- a letter/card/parcel is sent by registered mail or
- a letter/card/parcel is sent by courier service (such as UPS, DHL, FedEx, Aramex or similar)
So just send the card by regular mail in the following format:
Name
(optional: “c/o” name)
P.O. Box: XXXX
City
United Arab Emirates
No worries, it will arrive. Transit time from the U.S. is about three to four weeks.
Happy New Year and best wishes for good health and even better spirit.
Ralf
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Thank you all so much for your helpful replies. It is interesting to see how people in other countries get mail and how other countries deal with sending mail. I mailed her card the other day as it was shown in PC with the phone number on it. Hopefully it will make it all right. Thank you all again for all the help! Toni
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If someone new has a telephone number listed in the address, do I write it on the postcard?
I would assume that they put the number there for a reason, so yes, I would include it.
Just in general I think people know what their address is and always copy it as given. If they have registered postcards already, it obviously works.
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