Saudia Cargo has announced the signing of a cargo agreement with Cainiao Network – the logistic arm of Alibaba Group – to support e-commerce operations between China and Europe.
The agreement includes operating five weekly flights from Hong Kong to Liege in Belgium with Riyadh city as a connection point.
In a statement, Saudia Cargo said these flights will form a “sky bridge” between Asia and Europe to cater to the high demand on e-commerce, which has lately become the world’s No.1 shopping preference.
“We are excited for this strategic agreement which will enhance logistic services between the two continents through the famous Alibaba’s e-commerce platform and its high traffic of online shoppers. This agreement is part of our framework to transform the Kingdom into an open gate for world trade and a bridge connecting East and West by leveraging its strategic location in the centre of the world,” said Omar Hariri, Saudia Cargo CEO.
He noted that other promising partnerships will also be coming up in the near future to reinforce the logistic operations of Alibaba in both continents.
“The global pandemic has revealed the urging need for cargo services due to the rapidly growing demand for online shopping. We are working closely with our worldwide partners to execute the most effective logistic solutions to guarantee a constant flow of cargo with punctual delivery,” he said.
Cainiao logistic services cover more than 200 countries around the world placing the company as one of the most popular logistic services providers for many retailers and consumers globally.
Faster delivery times
Cainiao's chief strategist and general manager of Export Logistics, William Xiong, said the partnership will decrease the delivery time of their parcels.
“We are happy to launch of collaboration with Saudia Cargo. Both our sellers and customers from China, Saudi Arabia and Europe will benefit from the new flights that will decrease the delivery time for their parcels. Expanding our logistics network into new regions will also help us in building an efficient global exports network. This new route will be one of the key elements to create seamless logistics and increase synergy between different regions”, Xiong said.
Since the start of the pandemic, Saudia Cargo has announced several measures to ensure the continuity of its highly efficient logistic operations such as increasing cargo flights to many destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia and the USA to keep a regular flow of vital products and maintain the economic and commercial sustainability in the Kingdom.
With a fleet of seven freighter aircraft (4 Boeing 777 and 3 Boeing 747-400F), Saudia Cargo has adequate space and tonnage capacity to haul e-commerce goods on different routes, cared for by highly trained personnel who ensure the safest delivery.
