Dubai has opened the world's first ever fully functional 3D-printed office building, taking a step towards the Gulf's target of reducing expenditure by saving on labour cost and time.
The printers - although used industrially and in small scale - have not been used for the construction of buildings previously.
In a statement released by the Dubai Government, it was said that a special mixture of cement was used for the building and the reliability tests were done in Britain and China.
With a floor space of 250 square metres (2700 square feet), a 120-feet by 40-feet printer was used for printing the building.
"This is the first 3D-printed building in the world, and it's not just a building, it has fully functional offices and staff," the United Arab Emirates Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Mohamed Al Gergawi, said.