TEESSIDE company ASR Technology is to expand its business in the Middle East after announcing plans for offices in Dubai, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

The Middlesbrough company, which specialises in computer-based process control systems and factory and plant automation, said the offices depended on winning contracts in those countries.

Altaf Rahman, sales director for ASR, said: "We are now bidding for a number of contracts and hope to open new offices in these places and employ local people to work for us. When you are bidding for work, you cannot beat local knowledge."

ASR, which opened an office in the Middle East five years ago, recently agreed a deal to provide a software-based control system to monitor pipelines there.

This led to the recruitment of three staff to join 30 other workers at the Middlesbrough headquarters.

ASR has received help in attending seminars in Middle Eastern countries from UK Trade and Investment, the Government's foreign trade operation.