The cloud computing unit of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding said it would establish a base in Dubai to seek business from companies and governments in the Mena region.

The deal may bolster Dubai's efforts to develop as a technology centre for the region, in addition to marking an expansion of Alibaba's cloud computing effort.

Alibaba's subsidiary Aliyun will set up a venture with Meraas, a holding company owned by Dubai's ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum. Meraas is involved in about 12 local real estate projects as well as tourism, retail, leisure and entertainment businesses.

The joint venture will specialise in developing applications and big data operations in areas such as payment solutions, the two companies said in a statement on Tuesday. Meraas will build a data centre in Dubai. – Reuters