The Saudi Tourism Authority has joined forces with Alibaba Cloud, the technology arm of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, to boost the tourism sector in the kingdom.
The tie-up aims to create a "seamless experience" for Chinese tourists coming to Saudi Arabia, the Arab world’s biggest economy, according to a state-run Saudi Press Agency report.
Alibaba Cloud will also offer technical support to STA as it promotes the kingdom as a tourist destination for residents of the world's most populous nation.
“As Saudi [Arabia] continues to develop its leisure tourism offering for local, regional and international audiences, STA is building a digital infrastructure which can provide the destination with a competitive edge and visitors with the best possible experience,” Fahd Hamidaddin, STA’s chief executive, said in a statement to SPA.
“By collaborating with Alibaba Cloud, we will break new ground in the regional tourism sector and position Saudi at the forefront of efforts to modernise the wider global tourism eco-system,” he said.
Tourism development is an important pillar in Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, which aims to diversify the kingdom's economy and reduce its reliance on oil.
Riyadh wants to boost the tourism sector’s contribution to the country's gross domestic production to 5.3 per cent by 2022 and create 836,000 new jobs in the sector. Over the long term, the kingdom plans the sector to account for more than 10 per cent of its economy and create more than a million new jobs by 2030.
Under the new pact, Alibaba Cloud will use "advanced, secure and reliable" cloud services to create an "improved digital experience for Chinese tourists".
“This collaboration brings together two key actors in the tourism sector who can set a new standard for providing a travel experience like no other,” said Selina Yuan, general manager of international business at Alibaba Cloud, SPA reported.
“With Alibaba Cloud leading the digital transformation of tourism and Saudi’s unique destinations, this is a combination that will help to re-invigorate the tourism sector.”
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North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Country-size land deals
US interest in purchasing territory is not as outlandish as it sounds. Here's a look at some big land transactions between nations:
Louisiana Purchase
If Donald Trump is one who aims to broker "a deal of the century", then this was the "deal of the 19th Century". In 1803, the US nearly doubled in size when it bought 2,140,000 square kilometres from France for $15 million.
Florida Purchase Treaty
The US courted Spain for Florida for years. Spain eventually realised its burden in holding on to the territory and in 1819 effectively ceded it to America in a wider border treaty.
Alaska purchase
America's spending spree continued in 1867 when it acquired 1,518,800 km2 of Alaskan land from Russia for $7.2m. Critics panned the government for buying "useless land".
The Philippines
At the end of the Spanish-American War, a provision in the 1898 Treaty of Paris saw Spain surrender the Philippines for a payment of $20 million.
US Virgin Islands
It's not like a US president has never reached a deal with Denmark before. In 1917 the US purchased the Danish West Indies for $25m and renamed them the US Virgin Islands.
Gwadar
The most recent sovereign land purchase was in 1958 when Pakistan bought the southwestern port of Gwadar from Oman for 5.5bn Pakistan rupees.
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Starfield
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Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
What She Ate: Six Remarkable Women & the Food That Tells Their Stories
Laura Shapiro
Fourth Estate
Red Joan
Director: Trevor Nunn
Starring: Judi Dench, Sophie Cookson, Tereza Srbova
Rating: 3/5 stars
