BanaBay has secured an "important" Middle Eastern customer, the Hussain al Qurashi Group, as the premium banana group works to expand in the region.

Saudi Arabian Hussain al Qurashi has just taken delivery of four containers of premium BanaBay bananas, the group revealed. Hussain al Qurashi is a premium food trading company with operations across all of the GCC countries as well as Yemen, India and Pakistan. With more than 25 fresh produce outlets in the UAE, the group said it supplies "all leading supermarkets and hypermarkets" in the region.

Harley Williams, business development manager for BanaBay said the deal was a significant step for BanaBay. "This is an exciting new partnership in Saudi Arabia which again demonstrates the expanding reach and development of the BanaBay brand across the globe."

BabaBay said that the Middle East is a "key focus" for the premium banana brand because the region has high purchasing power and a population of "habitual fruit buyers".