Robots whirr around, shifting fabrics and clothing, on the evening before Singles' Day at the Hangzhou site for Xunxi, Alibaba's first wholly-owned smart factory.
The site is one of three plants Alibaba has launched under its manufacturing division, which marks the company's latest foray into the offline world as it seeks to diversify from e-commerce.
Speaking at a media briefing during Alibaba's annual shopping festival, chief executive Alain Wu said Alibaba established Xunxi to help China's small merchants respond to consumer demand more quickly.
The division will expand, not by opening more factories but by getting more companies to use its services and by finding out which parts of its technology can be scaled up, Mr Wu said.
Together with Taobao, one of Alibaba's main e-commerce sites, Xunxi will serve the "long tail" of the apparel industry – which is made up of brands that blossom online but lack access to advanced manufacturing services, Wu said.
"A lot of these small-and-medium-sized brands, their advantage is that they can adapt to changes in the market and meet consumer demand, but their disadvantage is in manufacturing because their technology and skills are limited," he said.
As part of its diversification, Alibaba also runs a supermarket chain called Freshippo, launched in January 2016, which has grown to operate more than 100 store fronts.
In addition, it runs a programme to help small convenience stores with product-sourcing and data analytics services and has opened a mall and a hotel in Hangzhou, both of which serve as pilot projects to test its new retail technology.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
THE SPECS – Honda CR-V Touring AWD
Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder
Power: 184hp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 244Nm at 3,900rpm
Transmission: Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
0-100kmh in 9.4 seconds
Top speed: 202kmh
Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km
Price: From Dh122,900
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
RACECARD
6pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 – Group 1 (PA) $50,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
6.35pm: Festival City Stakes – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,200m
7.10pm: Dubai Racing Club Classic – Listed (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 2,410m
7.45pm: Jumeirah Classic Trial – Conditions (TB) $150,000 (T) 1,400m
8.20pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 – Group 2 (TB) $250,000 (D) 1,600m
8.55pm: Cape Verdi – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,600m
9.30pm: Dubai Dash – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,000m
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
