AN award-winning designer and manufacturer has supplied furniture, worth £100,000, to the leading Christian church in Abu Dhabi.

Thirsk-based Treske made 425 solid oak chairs, an altar table, a solid oak pulpit, a wall cross and a credence table especially for St Andrew’s Church.

The prestigious contract followed family-owned Treske’s £80,000 fit-out for the first Christian crematorium widely open to ex-pats in the United Arab Emirates at Al Foah.

Treske has previously exported church and domestic furniture to countries including Japan, the UAE and the US, with exports representing about five per cent of the company's turnover.

Managing director Justin Bartlett said: "This was a very significant order from us, strengthening our presence in the Gulf region.

“The furniture for the Al Foah crematorium established our reputation in the UAE and we were delighted when it led to this major contract in Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s second most important city after Dubai.

“Although the UAE is predominantly Muslim, there is a strong Christian community in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi, mainly due to the large number of ex-pats who live there.

“It is a huge privilege to supply so much furniture to such a respected and popular church like St Andrew’s.”

Apart from its success abroad, Treske is a leading manufacturer and supplier of church furniture in this country, with projects for high-profile churches including Ripon Cathedral, St George’s Chapel in Windsor, Bradford Cathedral and St Martin-in-the-Fields in central London.