Israel Credit Card and OneBill will be cooperating with Chinese payment market leader Alipay to facilitate payments for Chinese visitors to Israel.

The availability of Alipay means Israel becomes the first country in the Middle East in which it can be used for in-store payments. This follows Alipay's extensive international expansion in recent years. The service is available for Chinese tourists and business travelers visiting Israel.

National Airline El-Al and James Richardson Duty Free chain stores will soon accept Alipay, with Diamond Mines prestigious jewelry chain stores launching Alipay powered payments last week.

"Our users are traveling to Israel to see the unique heritage of this country, enjoy local experiences, make lifetime memories and bring home high quality local products," Li Wang, head of EMEA at Alipay, said in a press release. "Chinese travelers are seeking to travel and pay with only their mobile phone when they are abroad — just as they do when they are in China. So we are excited to see our partners bringing Alipay to the Middle East for Israeli experiences, local shops and in-flight payments."