A SAUDI prince has turned to an East Lancashire firm to decorate his multi-million desert palace.

Fabrics firm Panaz was asked to come up with 23 exclusive designs to be used to help furnish the inside of the palace being built on the outskirts of the capital city, Riyadh.

Now 8,000 metres of fabric are on their way to the Middle East from Fence later this year.

The palace is being constructed in the desert for Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, the brother of the King of Saudi Arabia.

Panaz were commissioned by Diyar Najd Antiquities & Culture who are the contractors for the huge project. More than 200 professional stonemasons and builders are currently working on the project.

"We are obviously delighted to be associated with such a prestigious project," said Panaz managing director Tony Attard.

"Our design and production teams have found the whole exercise to be both inspiring and creatively rewarding and we are all extremely proud of the finished results."

Designers used themes from the desert including ancient Arabian architecture for the fabrics which are based on heavy woven tapestry designs.

Panaz specialises in the design and manufacture of flame retardant fabrics for hotels and cruise ships, hospitals, colleges and university across the world. The firm has previously won a string of awards for its achievements in securing major overseas orders.

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