Dubai unveils world's largest 3D printed two-storey building

Dubai is laying down foundations for the future of its construction industry – after unveiling the largest 3D printed building on the planet.

After a year of testing to ensure the project in Warsan meets strict building standards, the emirate's latest hi-tech development went on public display on Wednesday.

Dubai Municipality said the building was now entered into the Guinness Book of World Records as the first two-storey printed building.

Dubai's 3D printing strategy aims to make it a global capital for this technology

Dawoud Al Hajri,
Dubai Municipality

Officials said 3D printing techniques would transform how the construction sector operates.

"This project is a major turning point in the construction sector," said Dawoud Al Hajri, Dubai Municipality director general. "3D printing technologies in construction will increase the speed of execution and [lead to the] completion of buildings in record time.

“This will reduce construction costs and contribute to the development of solutions to demographic challenges by reducing the number of construction workers.”

Standing 9.5 metres tall and with a total area of 640 square metres, it has been built using onsite 3D printing equipment with local components.

The process works by layering a fluid material along a predetermined route mapped out by computer, similar to an inkjet printer. Those mineral-infused fluids solidify into concrete almost instantly to convert the digital model into a three-dimensional object.

Although the case for replacing industrial manufacturing on a wider scale with 3D printing is unproven, ratings agency Moody's said the technology has great potential in many sectors.

Its recent report said the technology would be most useful in areas requiring rapid prototyping, production of unique and customised items and the manufacture of parts with structural complexity.

High production industries where scale is important were less likely to benefit from 3D printing technology, largely because of the high cost of printers and limited supply of specialist technicians.

Emaar Properties is planning Dubai’s first 3D printed home in Arabian Ranches Three, claiming the technique could accelerate the delivery of new homes and bring more design flexibility.

"This two-storey building has been designed and executed with a number of spaces that can be used as rooms or offices," said Mr Hajri at an opening event to discuss the project in Warsan.

“The walls are printed directly from the printer, unlike the traditional method of construction, which depends on the work of tightening wooden pieces with nuts and bolts, reinforcement and pouring of concrete and making bricks.”

Officials said construction costs for a building this size would be cut from about Dh2.5 million to less than Dh1m.

The process used about half the usual number of construction workers, only 15, and generated about 60 per cent less waste.

In July, a French family became the first to move into a single-storey four-bedroom 3D printed home spread across 165 square metres.

Its walls took just two days to build, while the rest of the house took a further four months.

The build was developed by the University of Nantes.

Dubai’s new printed building is not the emirate’s first.

It is three years since Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, opened a futuristic office for 3D printing technology outside Emirates Towers.

The office in the Dubai International Finance Centre was the first of its kind anywhere in the world.

Curves and different shapes were specifically used in the design of the Warsan construction to challenge the printer’s capabilities.

"The building has been designed with different shapes through which it was tested to show it can be possible for 3D printing to construc a variety of designs," Mr Al Hajri said.

“Dubai’s 3D printing strategy aims to make it a global capital for this technology.”

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In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.

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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”