Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum lands in Istanbul as Royal Ascot dominates the week

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum departed Dubai International Airport on June 18, 2026, aboard his Boeing 747-433M Combi, tail A6-COM, and landed four hours and 26 minutes later at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport. The aircraft, a rare combi variant capable of carrying both passengers and cargo, is part of a fleet that includes a dedicated horse-transport freighter.

The same week, Godolphin, the thoroughbred stable founded by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is competing at Royal Ascot in Berkshire. On Tuesday, Bow Echo, owned by the family of the late Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, won the Group 1 St James's Palace Stakes, and on Wednesday Godolphin's Ombudsman successfully defended the Prince of Wales's Stakes, according to the Khaleej Times. Istanbul sits roughly halfway between Dubai and London on a direct great-circle route, and the combi's configuration — part passenger cabin, part main-deck cargo hold — mirrors the same logistical setup used to move racehorses across continents. Only two of the ruler's recent flights have gone to Turkey; the rest in the past three days have cycled between Dubai, Newmarket, and Saudi Arabia, suggesting this stop may be a crew or fuel break on a longer journey tied to the week's racing calendar.