A race against time beyond the competition
DHL Global Forwarding is coordinating a complex logistics operation for a Middle East triathlon series spanning Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. With events scheduled for 13–15 November in Dubai, 27 November in Saudi Arabia and 10–12 December in Qatar, the operation must move fragile, high-value equipment across borders with only one to two weeks between successive race stages.
For athletes competing in a demanding 100-kilometre format, specialised equipment must be available as soon as they arrive in each host country. Delays could compromise event preparations, making transport coordination and advance planning essential.
Raman Kumar, Regional Director, Global Event Logistics and Motorsports, Middle East and Africa at DHL Global Forwarding, describes the operation as the “race behind the race”.
Kumar explains that preparations begin months before the first competition. With two races taking place in November and the final event scheduled for December, the short intervals leave little room for disruption.
“When you say ‘race behind the race’, our work starts many months before the actual event itself,” explains Raman Kumar. “The first race is in November, followed by another race in November, and the finale in December with a gap of one week or maximum two weeks in between. This leaves no time for delay in terms of the GCC setup.”
Global cargo flows require early coordination
The operation involves collecting and consolidating essential equipment, specialised items and event infrastructure from multiple locations worldwide, including Asia-Pacific, China, Japan, the Americas and Europe.
To manage these international flows and prepare for possible transport disruptions in the Gulf, DHL establishes a centralised Control Tower well ahead of the opening competition. The facility helps assess risks, identify suitable solutions for customers and coordinate their implementation.
Kumar says cargo shipments are already under way during the planning phase, reflecting the need to anticipate delays and ensure that equipment reaches each destination within the required timeframe.
“All the equipment, items, and event setups need to come in from multiple locations across the globe, whether Asia-Pacific, China, Japan, the Americas, or Europe,” states Kumar. “Right now, as we speak, we are in the planning phase and already shipping cargo. In the world of shipping, there are delays, at least in the Gulf sector, and that is something we account for by setting up a Control Tower. When you run an events business, setting up a control tower is extremely important to analyse the associated risks, recommend the best possible solutions to the customer, and then execute.”
Customs procedures require preparation beforehand
Customs clearance is another layer of complexity for international sporting events. Shipments may be under different arrangements such as temporary admission, duty-paid imports, consignments registered to local recipients and cargo arriving without a registered local entity.
DHL harmonizes documentation and requirements with local border authorities before shipments arrive and asks for customs pre-authorisations. The company tries to clear time-sensitive equipment within 24 hours so it can be delivered to the event site.
Kumar explains the differences between event logistics and traditional freight forwarding, especially in terms of exemptions and different import arrangements for the same operation.
“Once cargo comes to Dubai for the first leg we already have alignments with customs on requirements,” Kumar says. “For event logistics it is not as straightforward as standard freight forwarding.
You need exemptions because some cargo is temporary, some is duty-paid, some is with a local recipient registered, and some is not. We take all that into account and we put in requests to customs to get pre-authorisations. “These are time-sensitive items so we’re trying to clear them in a day and get them on-site.”
Event prep on track with venue logistics
When cargo gets to a race site, the priority becomes getting it to the site, dealing with equipment and erecting and dismantling event infrastructure.
DHL plans its resources around three main operational phases: build up, live event days and break down. The build-up involves siting and preparing equipment for use. Logistics teams support the needs of the event on live days. Cargo must be recovered in a timely manner after the competition for onward movement to the next destination.
These activities require careful staffing and Material Handling Equipment (MHE) such as forklifts, trolleys and cranes. In a tight schedule, efficient recovery and dispatch is of the utmost importance.
Site logistics is another big issue, says Kumar. “At the venue, how quickly you deliver goods and get them ready for the event is a big part of what we do. Material Handling Equipment (MHE) such as forklifts, trolleys, cranes, etc. as well as manpower are calculated for build-up days, live days and breakdown days. We prepare the cargo for use in the build-up. You can watch live days on media platforms and TV. “When breakdown happens, we immediately recover the cargo and head to the next destination.
Different customs frameworks of GCC create additional challenges
Logistics providers across the Gulf Cooperation Council have to work with different national customs systems. This is different from movements within the European Union where internal border procedures tend to be more seamless and routine physical checks between member states do not occur.
Dubai is a mature logistics market and the exhibition industry in Saudi Arabia is growing rapidly. “At the time I was speaking, Saudi Arabia’s exhibition volumes had gone up from over 300 in 2025 to more than 500,” Kumar said.
The rules are different between the Gulf states and customs arrangements will have to be tailored to each destination rather than through a regional process.
“The customs procedures in Europe are very smooth and there are no border checks or bottlenecks between countries in the European Union,” says Kumar. Customs procedures differ across GCC markets. Dubai is a mature market and KSA is growing very fast.” If we look at event data, Saudi Arabia alone has gone from 300+ events in 2025 to 500+ now.
A good example of these differences is the case of temporary imports. Saudi Arabia introduced the ATA Carnet system for temporary imports in June 2024, while the UAE accepts use of an ATA Carnet. However, it is not applied consistently in practice, says Kumar, which means that some shipments may have to go ahead on a commercial invoice and packing list, backed by temporary deposits.
DHL pre-arranges these requirements to help shipments enter Saudi Arabia and Qatar smoothly and avoid unnecessary delays at customs.
“Customs are not the same in the Gulf,” Kumar points out. In each Gulf state the rules are different. For example, you can use an ATA Carnet in the UAE. Saudi Arabia introduced the ATA Carnet system for temporary imports in June 2024, but it is not always used, so you may need to ship with a commercial invoice and packing list with temporary deposits. “Everything has been pre-arranged to clear shipments through border points to Saudi Arabia and Qatar without any delays.
Local representation requires specialist services.
If the international event organizer does not have a corporate entity registered in the country in which they are holding the event, they may face additional regulatory hurdles when importing or exporting equipment for their event.
DHL uses its global event logistics expertise to provide Importer of Record (IOR) and Exporter of Record (EOR) services to customers without local presence. These are arrangements within the company’s approach to managing cross border requirements for international events.
Border congestion is also considered in the planning stage. DHL analyzes peak seasons and general truck traffic to predict queues and implement the right transport options.
The company dispatches TIR (Transports Internationaux Routiers) trucks to help reduce delays. They can skip appointment queues and proceed directly to customs inspection.
DHL’s border customer liaison officers work directly with customs officials to ask any questions an inspector may have. Having your own people on the ground who know the products helps to solve problems and avoid the risk of long hold-ups in clearance.
Digital systems link air, land and ocean freight
DHL operates its ground fleets, air freight and ocean shipping with standardized global software platforms. The Dubai Control Tower is the hub of operations, which is linked to customs databases and carrier tracking networks.
This connection gives you visibility of shipments across different modes of transportation, with automated notifications if there are any delays. Logistics teams get alerts instead of just doing manual tracking, so they can see disruptions and respond quickly.
“Plus, DHL has common software systems used around the world,” says Kumar. Information managed by a control tower in Dubai is seamlessly passed on through our air and ocean network. We have direct access to customs and carrier databases. “If there’s a delay in a shipment, we’re notified by automated triggers and can take action immediately.”
The system can also monitor key shipment milestones, enabling teams to detect potential problems before they affect the competition schedule.
Kumar cites the case of a flight scheduled to take off at 10.30 AM, but gets delayed. The Control Tower is notified by automated carrier integration and can then inform the destination station, the organizers and the athletes. If needed the team can consider contingency measures such as moving the shipment to another flight.
This centralized reporting structure helps to make decisions faster and to keep the various parties involved in the operation coordinated.
Real-time visibility of shipments and environmental controls
Consideration also has to be given to the environmental conditions during the journey of specialist sporting equipment. DHL offers temperature controlled air, land and carrier transport for temperature sensitive and perishable shipments.
The Control Tower gives visibility for the entire process from cargo planning and collection, through transit to delivery at venue. Organizers and athletes have real-time information on shipments to help them prepare for the arrival of equipment and ensure that the items they need are there when they need them.
These monitoring capabilities are complementary to the company’s overall approach to transport coordination, risk management and response to change in the supply chain.
Routing via multiple hubs provides alternatives in case of regional disruptions
DHL is also working on a more flexible overland routing strategy to reduce dependence on specific airports and seaports. The disruption to regional transport has shown the importance of having alternative gateways available when primary routes become congested or unavailable.
Where bottlenecks have affected upper Gulf locations such as Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait, DHL has deployed rapid-response teams to move shipments across borders by road to alternative maritime hubs. These include Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Port and the UAE’s Khorfakkan Port, which both offer access to open shipping lanes.
“We have picked up cargo that was held up for different reasons in Khorfakkan and Jeddah and re-exported them to their final destinations,” says Kumar.
Recent regional situations have taught us to build more flexible transit routes,” Kumar said. “ Historically, the main airport or seaport in a country handled the vast majority of the country’s key exports. When transit bottlenecks occurred in upper Gulf locations such as Qatar, Bahrain or Kuwait, we dispatched task forces to transfer shipments overland across borders to other sea hubs with direct access to open shipping lanes, such as Jeddah Port in Saudi Arabia or Khorfakkan Port in the UAE. “We managed to rescue cargo stuck for various events at Khorfakkan and Jeddah ports and re-exported to their destinations. “Looking ahead, we plan to use this multi-hub overland routing strategy across our global sports network, ensuring that we are never reliant on one port or airport during disruptions.”
The company is planning to roll out the multi-hub concept across its global sports network, providing alternatives when regional disruption hits established routes.
The operation covers international freight coordination, pre-customs planning, venue handling, digital tracking and alternative transport routes for the Middle East triathlon series. These measures are key to managing the movement of critical equipment and meeting the competition schedule, with successive events staged in three GCC markets, within weeks of each other.
