Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum lands in Málaga the week of the Arabian Racing Cup

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum flew from Rabat-Salé to Málaga-Costa del Sol on June 3, 2026, a short 44-minute hop across the Strait of Gibraltar aboard the Boeing 747-422, tail A6-MMM. The flight touched down at LEMG at 19:53 UTC.

The trip coincides with the Arabian Racing Cup, a major fixture in the international equestrian calendar, held this week at the Mijas Racecourse near Málaga, per the Real Club Hípico de Málaga and the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, founder of Godolphin and a lifelong patron of thoroughbred and Arabian horse racing, is in southern Spain for the event, which draws owners, breeders, and dignitaries from across the Gulf and Europe.

The ruler’s fleet has been unusually active this week, with the same aircraft observed shuttling from Newmarket to Scotland and from Dubai to Rabat in the days prior, consistent with the movement of horses and staff ahead of the Andalusia meeting. With Meydan’s Dubai World Cup behind him and summer racing season in full swing, the stop in Málaga fits a well-established pattern of combining business with equestrian diplomacy.