Strategic Intelligence Scanning

Fast-growing Dubai, where something new is always being added to the skyline, may have found a way to make construction move even faster. The Gulf commercial hub has announced plans to work with a Chinese company to add the world's first office building made using 3D printer technology to its collection of eye-catching buildings. Mohammed al-Gergawi, the United Arab Emirates' minister of cabinet affairs, said the project was part of a broader effort by the seven-state federation to embrace cutting-edge technology and make it a global hub for innovation. The Emirates' statement said 3D printing technology had the potential to cut building construction time and labour costs by at least half, and reduce construction waste by 30 per cent to 60 per cent. It described the proposed Dubai office as "the most advanced 3D printed structure ever built at this scale" and the first to be put into actual use. No details on the timeframe or cost were made public.