The Qu’aiti State of Hadhramaut, located in southern Arabia (present-day Yemen), was a sultanate under British protection as part of the Aden Protectorate. Ruled by the Qu’aiti dynasty, it maintained internal autonomy while relying on Britain for defense and external affairs. The state continued in this form until the British withdrawal and the formation of South Yemen in 1967.
The Qu’aiti State issued a distinctive series of postage stamps, initially using overprinted Indian and later Aden stamps before introducing its own designs. Many issues featured portraits of the ruling sultans, local architecture, and regional motifs, while later emissions included colorful thematic sets aimed at international collectors. These stamps reflect both traditional authority and evolving philatelic trends.
The state used the Indian rupee and later the East African Shilling, before adopting the South Arabian Dinar = 1000 Fils under the Federation of South Arabia