Why did dozens of cargo flights coincide with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed’s short Pakistan visit?

UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed is on a one-day trip to Islamabad on December 26, to meet Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on issues of trade, investment, energy cooperation and regional issues. According to official statements from both sides, this was part of long standing attempt to strengthen the bilateral ties. However, the official statement does not mention the large-scale cargo movement that has been detected beyond Islamabad. Flight trackers show, aircraft landing at remote airstrips are well documented for Houbara and Falcon hunting expeditions.

Flight tracking data from multiple open sources, such as Flight Radar, ADS-B Exchange, shows multiple heavy aircraft from the UAE to Pakistan surrounding the visit of President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. These flights include C-17, An-124, IL-76 and 747 freighters. Several of these landed near the desert region. One is in interior Sindh, west of the Indus River, and the other is in southern Punjab, on the edge of the Cholistan Desert near the Indian border. Both are historically famous for royal hunting expeditions.

Mohammed bin Zayed reached the Nur Khan Air Base near Islamabad, met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir. MBZ said the visit aimed to “strengthen the historical and longstanding ties between our nations and peoples,” with a focus on economic and development cooperation. Later, in a press conference, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar confirmed that the UAE President, Mohammed bin Zayed, had shortened his trip to take part in hunting activities.