Emirates SkyCargo, the freight division of Emirates, has signed an agreement with Cainiao Smart Logistics Network (Cainiao), the logistics arm of the Alibaba Group, to jointly facilitate the delivery of cross-border parcels as Cainiao looks to expand its global logistics infrastructure with Dubai as a hub.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by Nabil Sultan, Emirates divisional senior vice president, Cargo and Xiaodong Guan, general manager of Cainiao Global Business at Cainiao’s global headquarters in Hangzhou, reported Emirates news agency Wam.

It is a landmark agreement for both Emirates SkyCargo and Cainiao to leverage each other’s strengths in cross-border e-commerce trade and airline cargo operation. It will also support Cainiao’s broader efforts to offer enhanced customer experience. Cainiao recently unveiled plans to develop six global hubs in six cities around the globe. Dubai is one of them.

Under the terms of the MoU, Emirates SkyCargo and Cainiao will work closely to manage e-Commerce shipments in the Middle East and other neighbouring regions through Dubai. Further details of the tie-up will be announced progressively as they are developed by the two parties.

E-commerce is one of the strongest growth areas for the air cargo industry globally. Emirates SkyCargo has been exploring opportunities to collaborate with players in order to offer value-added services over and above cargo capacity between airports, using the strategic advantages of Dubai as a hub.

"We are delighted to be entering into this agreement with Cainiao. The MoU that we have signed today is the first step in what will be a deep and fruitful relationship between Emirates SkyCargo and one of the biggest players in the global e-commerce supply chain," said Nabil Sultan.

“With Emirates SkyCargo’s network spread, frequency of flights including close to 50 weekly flights from China, our state-of-the-art hub facilities and the strategic location of Dubai which allows it to serve as an effective logistics hub for the region, we are confident that we will be a strong partner for Cainiao to bring an enhanced experience to their customers in the Middle East and neighbouring regions."

"As a key gateway that links Asia and Europe, Dubai is well positioned to help us achieve our goal of 72-hour global delivery. The MoU with Emirates SkyCargo is another milestone to reach this goal," said Xiaodong Guan.

"We have a strong commitment to Dubai and the neighbouring markets. This fits well with our broader strategy."

Emirates SkyCargo offers cargo capacity to over 155 global destinations on a modern all-widebody fleet of 267 aircraft including 14 freighters- 13 Boeing 777-Fs and one B747 F. Emirates operates two state of the art Emirates SkyCentral cargo terminals in Dubai to manage cargo from passenger as well as freighter aircraft. Emirates SkyCargo has developed a number of transportation solutions targeted at specific industry verticals.

As a technology company, Cainiao leverages cutting edge big-data technology and open collaboration to build a global infrastructure that links all the logistics elements to improve delivery efficiency and customer experience for all players along the supply chain. Cainiao’s vision is to deliver anywhere in China within 24 hours, and across the globe within 72 hours.