Dubai to construct world's first 3D-printed mosque

Dubai will be constructing the world's first 3D-printed mosque. The project, undertaken with the vision and directives of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, is scheduled to be completed in 2025.

The construction of the 2,000-square-metre mosque in Bur Dubai will start in October and the mosque will be ready for 600 worshippers .

It 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, Dubai’s Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department (IACAD) said.

Three workers will operate the 3D robotic printer which will print two square metres an hour.
Ali Al Suwaidi, director of IACAD's engineering department, said the printer will mix raw materials and a special mix of concrete.

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.