The world’s first 3D printed mosque is set to come up in Dubai in 2025, with construction slated to begin in October this year.

Dubai’s Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities (IACAD), the project owner, has revealed that the mosque will be located in the city’s Bur Dubai locality. It will encompass an area of 2,000 square metres and accommodate 600 worshippers.

The globe’s first ever fully functional 3D printed mosque, the building’s structure will be built using 3D printing technology, taking about four months for completion. Another 12 months will be needed to add the appropriate facilities to it, the IACAD explained.

Ali Al Suwaidi, director, IACAD, said that the 3D printing will be done by a robotic printer, which will need only three workers to operate it. It will print two square metres per hour, mixing raw materials and a special concrete mix.

The process will involve the layering of a mineral-infused fluid material along a fixed route mapped by a computer. The fluid will then solidify into concrete instantly, converting the digital result into a 3D object.
“The cost is 30 per cent higher than building the mosque in the normal way because it is the first of its kind in the world,” said Al Suwaidi in a statement from the IACAD.

The statement added that the cost will come down in the future as the technology and its use become more widespread, falling to the same levels as conventional buildings with a 30-year building guarantee.
The IACAD added that it is in the process of coordinating with the Dubai Municipality for the design’s final approvals.

“Building the first mosque in the world to be built with 3D printing technology is a distinguished project in the world built with this feature,” said Hamad Al Shaibani, IACAD director-general, adding that the work is a translation on the ground of the vision of Dubai’s leadership.