Jobs have been secured after a Belfast-based business, Diet Express signed a contract in Qatar.

This is its first export sale and follows a recent Invest Northern Ireland trade mission.

The company has developed 'Diet Clinic' a unique 13-week weight loss programme for members of an upmarket spa in Doha, the capital of the oil and gas-rich Gulf state.

A bespoke nutrition programme is being provided to the spa on a franchise basis, to help members to improve health and fitness levels.

The deal was announced by Chris Donaldson, Diet Express Managing Director, and welcomed by Dr Vicky Kell, Invest NI Trade Director.

The company, which employs five people at its base in Bruce Street, Belfast, took part in the Invest NI mission to Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates last November.

Mr Donaldson, commenting on the contract, said: "There's a growing recognition throughout the Middle East of the health risks from the high levels of fat and sugar in diets.

"Obesity and diabetes are now major problems there. In some parts of the Gulf levels of diabetes have reached an alarming 28 per cent of the population. Exercise outdoors is not particularly easy or pleasant when temperatures hit 50 degrees plus," he said.

"What we have designed for the spa is a bespoke programme that promotes weight loss through a focus on a much healthier diet.

"We are training spa staff on techniques including one-to-one mentoring, a complete re-education process that enables those involved to take greater control of their diet," he said.

"The Invest NI trade mission enabled us to identify and meet key contacts in markets now facing serious dietary problems. We would expect further business to result from contacts made there," added Mr Donaldson.

(BMcC/GK)