ENGINEERING company K Home International is bidding for millions of pounds' worth of work in the Middle East and South America that could trigger a recruitment drive at its Teesside headquarters.

The Thornaby company, which last month won a Queen's Award for International Trade, is hoping to secure high-value contracts for manufacturing plants in Oman, Egypt and Venezuela.

It is also bidding for work in Dubai, where it is already project-managing the construction of the Atlantis Hotel, on Palm Island, the world's second seven-star hotel.

It has now won part of the work on two projects to create a marina, shopping centre, and apartments with a combined value of $1.5bn, from Emaar Properties, the Dubai company that has also expressed an interest in building on Teesside.