Dubai-based Emirates SkyCargo, the freight division of Emirates Group, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Cainiao, the logistics arm of China-based Alibaba Group, to jointly facilitate the delivery of cross-border parcels.

The agreement is expected to help Cainiao fulfil its 72-hour global delivery goal, according to Xiaodong Guan, general manager, Cainiao Global Business.

Under the agreement, Emirates SkyCargo and Cainiao will “work closely” to manage e-commerce shipments in the Middle East and other neighbouring regions through Dubai, where Cainioa plans to develop one of its six global hubs.

“Cainiao looks to expand its global logistics infrastructure with Dubai as a hub,” a statement from the Dubai-based aviation group says.

MEED understands Emirates SkyCargo has close to 50 weekly flights from China.

In December last year, Alibaba’s cloud computing division signed an agreement with Khalifa University of Science and Technology in Abu Dhabi for research aimed at maximising the value of Abu Dhabi’s oil assets.

It is understood that the new deal won by Alibaba Cloud is an extension of the previous collaboration it had with Khalifa University’s Masdar Institute. Masdar is using Alibaba's cloud computing portfolio for research to help Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) achieve its target of attaining an oil recovery rate of 70 per cent from its oilfields.