Expo 2020 Dubai: strapping exhibition crates that will be opened, inspected and shipped home

Expo 2020 Dubai opened on 1 October 2021 and is due to run for about six months. ANSA reported a record 192 participating countries, each with its own pavilion, and forecasts of up to 25 million visitors. Behind the pavilions sits a large freight operation: exhibits, display equipment, stand materials and samples arriving in crates, many of them due to leave again when the event closes.

That return journey is what sets exhibition crating apart from ordinary export packing. A crate that will be opened, inspected, unpacked, stored, repacked and shipped home needs a strapping plan for each of those steps, not only for the outbound voyage.

How temporary admission shapes the packing

Goods sent for display usually enter under temporary admission rather than as permanent imports. Dubai Customs explained in March 2014 that its temporary admission system lets exhibitors bring goods in free of duty and tax for a limited period of up to one year, under the Istanbul Convention and against a guarantee, and that ATA Carnets can cover exhibition goods, commercial samples and professional equipment. For Expo itself, the Dubai Government Media Office announced in December 2019 that exhibit goods would not be subject to customs duties, that temporary admission procedures would be simplified, that exhibitors could register online and that a dedicated channel would clear Expo goods.

Temporary admission rests on the same goods leaving again. That puts a premium on identifying each crate and its contents, and on showing that what goes out matches what came in. Packing and strapping records support both.

Strap for the opening, not just the journey

Assume that each crate may be opened at least once before it reaches the stand, whether for inspection, an inventory check or because a forwarder needs to see the contents. Then plan for it:

• Choose closures that can be re-made on site. Woven or composite polyester strap with wire buckles can be applied and tensioned on site with a hand tensioner. Steel strap needs a tensioner, a sealer and seals of the matching profile. Whichever system you use, ship the means to re-close the crate.
• Pack a re-closing kit. Put spare strap, matching buckles or seals and a note of the tool in a marked carton that travels with the consignment, not inside the crate it is meant to close.
• Record band positions. A simple sketch on the packing list showing the number and position of bands lets whoever re-closes the crate restore it as packed.
• Keep lids and fixings with the crate. Screws, clips and lids are easily lost once a crate is opened in a busy area.

Plan for the site and the climate

An exhibition site in its build-up weeks is a construction environment. Crates are moved by forklift, stored in temporary areas and handled by people who did not pack them. Edge protection under the strap, clear lifting points and labels that survive handling all reduce damage.

Dubai’s climate adds heat and, near the coast, humidity. Treat storage time as part of the transport route: keep crates out of direct sun where possible, keep moisture-sensitive exhibits dry, and avoid closing crates with damp packing materials or timber. Strapped crates left in the open for long periods should be checked for slack bands before they are lifted.

The return journey

At the end of the event, crates are repacked against a deadline, often by a different team from the one that unpacked them. A little preparation on the way in makes that much easier:

Step	Before arrival	At repacking
Identify crates	Number each crate and list its contents	Check contents against the list before closing
Strapping	Record strap type, width, closure and band count	Re-strap to the same specification with new closures
Wood packaging	Use crates that meet the rules of every destination on the route	Check that any replacement timber also complies
Documents	Keep carnet or temporary admission papers in the shipment file	Match outgoing crates to the incoming records

Do not re-use a buckle or seal that has been cut or distorted. Fit new closures at repacking and bring enough for every band, plus spares.

Wood packaging deserves its own check. Requirements depend on each destination, and a crate built for the outbound leg may also have to satisfy the rules of the country it returns to. Confirm these with your forwarder before the crates are built, not when they are being repacked.

Brief your forwarder and stand builder

Share the crate list, strapping record and the location of the re-closing kit with everyone who will handle the crates. The Gulf destination guide explains why naming the exact delivery point matters in the region, and the crate project handover guide shows how to pass the approved joint specification between teams.

Closures for exhibition crating

For crates closed with woven strap and galvanized wire buckles, or with steel strap and steel strapping seals, send the number of crates, the strap and the tools you use through the enquiry page. Availability and delivery terms are agreed with each quotation.