3D PRINTING CREATES FOUNDATION FOR SAUDI CONSTRUCTION BOOM

3D printing is one of the technologies being used to transform the
Kingdom’s construction sector, the Saudi Press Agency reported, as the
government seeks to create jobs and homes for its citizens.

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 reform plan wants to increase home ownership
among nationals, and to increase the contribution of local firms to the
construction sector. It also wants to see a digital transformation in Saudi
society.

The Building Technology Stimulus Initiative, which is overseen by the
Housing Program and the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program,
is helping with innovation in the Kingdom’s housing sector, as well as meeting
the digitization demands of Vision 2030.

A recently inaugurated project in the southwestern city of Taif features
4,775 housing units. It is one of the largest real estate projects in the
country to use 3D technology, with houses being built in a matter of hours.

Concrete elements were built in factories or onsite, with rapid
completion and fewer construction phases. Moulds were reused and there was a 60%
reduction in waste. The Building Technology Stimulus Initiative is working to
raise the production capacity of the Kingdom’s construction factories and boost
local input by 70%. It also wants to create 6,000 jobs and to increase the
total local production contribution to SR80 billion ($21.485 billion). The
initiative wants to cut construction costs by between 5 and 20%, trim
construction time to less than 90 days, improve the quality of housing units
and to increase satisfaction rates.

The National Housing and Industrial Development and Logistics Program last November announced the Kingdom’s first house built using 3D technology. Located on Housing Ministry land west of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the house was built by Dutch company CyBe.https://www.arabnews.com/node/1554891/saudi-arabia