Alibaba over Riyadh
Saudia Cargo and the logistics arm of the Alibaba Group have agreed to operate five flights a week from Hong Kong via the Saudi capital to Liège, thus building a new pillar in the global e-commerce airbridge.
The Middle East is already one of the top five overseas markets in the system of Cainiao Smart Logistics Network Limited. Its volumes are growing by 20% annually. The newly-announced flights will allow Cainiao’s regional clients to receive their orders placed in the Middle Kingdom approximately within ten days. Middle Eastern online purchasers tend to mostly buy electronic products, clothes and household equipment.
Interlinking three global regions
Collaboration between Cainiao and Saudia Cargo goes beyond that, however. Linking the Middle East to Europe is “one of the keys to expanding our global logistics network and improving our export efficiency,” according to comments made by William Xiong, Cainiao’s chief strategist and general manager for export logistics. Cainiao’s logistics services already reach more than 200 countries today. “Traders and clients from China, Saudi Arabia and Europe will benefit from the launch of these flights, as well as from the concomitant improvement in logistics options.”
Saudia Cargo chief executive officer Omar Hariri explained that “this agreement is part of our plan to transform our kingdom into an open gateway for world trade, and make our country a bridge connecting east and west. To this end we’ll make the best of our strategic position at the heart of global trade lanes. Further partnerships will be set up in the near future, to fortify Alibaba’s logistics processes on both continents.”
The global pandemic, the chief executive officer continued, has shown that rapid growth of online purchases brought with it the urgent need for more freight services. As a result, his airline has increased the frequency of its services to and from many destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe as well as in the USA, in order to keep the regular flow of essential goods going, and ensure economic and commercial sustainability in the kingdom.
