CLACTON-based building materials company Dura Composites received a surprise visit from Prime Minister David Cameron to its stand at the The Big 5 exhibition in Dubai.

Mr Cameron made a whirlwind tour of the UK pavilion at the exhibition during his visit to the United Arab Emirates to promote British business.

Dura is exhibiting alongside its Dubai distributor, Advanced Fibreglass Industries, showcasing its range of timber composite flooring and fa�ades which are highly sustainable and well-suited to the harsh climate of the Middle East

Stuart Burns, a director at Dura, said: “The Prime Minister was extremely interested in Dura Composites. He was already well-briefed about our Clacton roots and previous projects that we have worked on in the Middle East.

“The visit has already had an effect,” he added. “There’s a buzz around the stand this morning and we hope it continues for the rest of the show.”

Mr Burns said the Prime Minister spent only 15 minutes at the exhibition in total, having carefully pre-selected which stands he was going to stop at.

He believed Dura Composites may have been chosen because of its sustainability credentials, having been confirmed earlier this year as the first timber composite manufacturer to be awarded the 100% FSC certificate.

Another pull may have been the company’s growing success in the Middle East, where Dura Composites’ sales had soared “The growth is undoubtedly due to the product’s resistance to harsh climates,” said Mr Burns. “We can adapt the composition of products to suit differing heat and UV levels.”