A medical tests company in Co Antrim has won its biggest export deal, selling its kits in Saudi Arabia.

CIGA Healthcare, which employs 15 people in Ballymena, will supply a full range of self-diagnostic tests for pregnancy, diabetes and other health matters to a Saudi business which will then circulate them to pharmacies around the country.

The company has its own branded product range of tests, known as SureSign. The contract is CIGA Healthcare's first major deal in Saudi Arabia.

Christian Berglund, the company's international sales manager, would not say how much the "significant" deal was worth but disclosed that it accounted for 30% of all sales last year.

CIGA will also supply products to Batterjee's office in Dubai for distribution to other Middle Eastern markets such as Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain.

A warehouse in Dubai has been dedicated to the SureSign range.

The deal followed an Invest NI trade mission to Riyadh and Damman in October. Invest NI trade director Dr Vicky Kell said: "Healthcare products and services is a fast developing market in Saudi Arabia because an increasingly affluent population is leading to a growth in conditions such as diabetes and cardio-vascular diseases. As a result, there's now a sharper focus on spotting conditions as early as possible and on products which encourage and enable people to spot conditions as early as possible and facilitate greater self-management of a range of conditions."