Dubai has unveiled plans to build the world’s first fully functional 3D-printed mosque, which is expected to be a marvel of technology. The project, which was announced in January, is part of Dubai’s 3D Printing Strategy, which aims to make the UAE and Dubai a hub for 3D printing by 2030. The mosque will be built in Bur Dubai, an old town area that is heavily populated and located near the creek and original port that started the Dubai story.
The mosque will have an area of 2,000 square metres and accommodate 600 worshippers. Three workers will operate the 3D robotic printer that will print two square metres an hour, using a special mix of concrete and raw materials. The printing process works by layering a fluid material along a predetermined route mapped out by a computer, similar to an inkjet printer. The mineral-infused fluids solidify into concrete almost instantly to convert the digital model into a three-dimensional object.
Dubai’s Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department said that the cost of building the mosque using 3D printing is 30 per cent higher than building the mosque in the normal way. However, the use of 3D printing will reduce construction material waste.
In August 2021, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, issued a decree to regulate the use of 3D printing in the construction industry in Dubai, to promote the emirate as a regional and global centre for technology. The legislation was aimed at ensuring that a quarter of the emirate’s buildings are built using the technology by 2030.
Expo 2020 Dubai had a specialised 3D-printing area, which included a research centre, an academy, and laboratories to help to develop the technology. Work on the mosque is set to begin in October 2022 and will take about four months to complete the 3D printing of the building’s structure, and a further 12 months to fully fit it out with the appropriate facilities. The mosque is expected to open in early 2025.
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