Cornwall-based Zoeftig & Company has recently won a £330,000 contract to supply departure gate seating for Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport with help from UK Trade & Investment.

Zoeftig & Co manufactures public beam seating and executive office furniture. Previous ventures include stools for London's Caviar House and 12,000 seats for Vegas McCarran Airport.

Earlier this year the company took part in a UKTI trade mission to Saudi Arabia, led by British Airports Group (BAG). Organised with the help of UKTI staff based in the British Embassy in Jeddah, the trade mission offered delegates the opportunity to meet representatives from 320 Saudi companies, each with an interest in purchasing UK skills and expertise from the Mass Transport sector.

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Congratulating Zoeftig on their success Andrew Cahn, Chief Executive of UKTI, said: "I am delighted that UKTI has been instrumental in Zoeftig's success in winning this significant contract. We have teams of experts all over the world to help cutting edge companies like Zoeftig pull off such deals.

"Saudi Arabia is becoming an increasingly important market for the UK, particularly as it now accounts for 25 per cent of the Arab world's GDP. I am particularly looking forward to HRH King Abdullah's visit to the UK later this month which will further help cement bilateral relations."

Graham Tait, Regional Sales Manager of Zoeftig said: "The advice and support we have received from UKTI in recent years has been excellent and the award was a direct result of Zoeftig's participation in UKTI's BAG trade mission to Jeddah in January.

"In particular, assistance from UKTI's commercial team at the British Embassy in Jeddah was invaluable in providing local market knowledge during the six month negotiations leading to the contract signing.

"Zoeftig has taken part previously in UKTI BAG schemes, notably to Russia and China and South Africa and we firmly believe it is a cost effective way to gain market entry.We are committed to expanding our export markets and we look forward to working with UKTI and BAG again."

The Jeddah order will be due for despatch by the end of October.

(GK/JM)