(Yicai Global) Dec. 18 -- The cloud computing arm of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. [NYSE:BABA] has forged a partnership with the Khalifa University of Science and Technology in the United Arab Emirates to initiate in-depth joint research into new energy development, machine intelligence, weather forecasting and the Internet of Things.

The pair signed the deal at the university last Friday, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported. During the initial phase, the initiative will focus on applying cloud computing to improve oil production efficiency and solar and other clean energy production capacity.

A team of scientists at the university recently published a paper in leading US scientific journal, the Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, which asserted that calculating interactions between rock surface molecules and subsurface fluid molecules on Alibaba's cloud computing platform had enabled an in-depth understanding of the underground oil-flow mechanism, which can substantially enhance oil production.

The pair will work together to boost technological innovation and energy efficiency in the UAE, Alibaba Cloud Computing President Hu Xiaoming said at the signing ceremony. The firm will further foster innovations in the internet industry in the country, using its leading database and cloud computing technology.

UAE President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan in February inaugurated the Khalifa University of Science and Technology via the merger of three higher education institutions in Abu Dhabi -- Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology and the Petroleum Institute. The move aims to increase the university's comprehensive research capability.