Alibaba Seeks Middle East Partners as Beijing Deepens Gulf Ties

(Bloomberg) — Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. has sought to partner with local firms in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as China deepens its ties with the Gulf.

“One of the things we’ve chosen to do, which is a little unusual for a Chinese company, is we partner,” Alibaba’s president, Michael Evans, said on a panel in Dubai’s World Government Summit, responding to how his firm navigates industrial policy initiatives.