A 31-year-old man has been arrested and charged in relation to a serious sexual assault of a woman in Alice Springs at the weekend.

It will be alleged around 11pm on Saturday, a 28-year-old woman was walking near the North Stuart Highway with a male friend when they were stopped by a man in a vehicle.

The man got out of the vehicle and allegedly began physically assaulting the woman. The woman fell to the ground and the man has strangled her to the point of unconsciousness.

It is alleged the man then repeatedly stabbed the woman with a weapon before returning to his vehicle and driving off leaving the woman and her male acquaintance.

The pair were able to flag down a passing motorist and contact police.

The woman was taken to the Alice Springs Hospital where she remains in a stable condition.

Police arrested the man following a pursuit along Ilparpa Road and have charged him with;

1 x Unlawfully cause Serious Harm

1 x Sexual Intercourse without consent

2 x Aggravated Assault

2 x Armed with an Offensive Weapon

1 x Drive Unlicenced

1 x Drive Unregistered Motor Vehicle

1 x Drive Uninsured Motor Vehicle

1 x Fail to Obey directions of Police

1 x Drive Dangerous Manner

And a number of traffic offences.

The man is scheduled to appear before the Alice Springs Local Court today.