Leading Chinese 3D printed housing company WinSun said it has reached an agreement with Saudi construction company Al Mobty Contracting Company to lease 100 3D printers and set up a joint venture firm in a deal worth 10 billion yuan ($1.5 billion).
The announcement for the Saudi jont venture comes following WinSun’s recent deal to 3D print 17 office buildings in Dubai, UAE.
With these 3D printers from WinSun, the Saudi construction company will embark on a large-scale project of 30 million sq m of 3D printed buildings, in what should result in up to 1.5 million affordable new homes for the Saudi population, said a statement from the company.
A lease agreement was signed by Ma Yi He, WinSun’s chairman of the board of directors, and officials of Al Mobty Contracting Company in the presence of Saudi King Salman, who paid a state visit to Chinese President Xi Jinping from March 15 to March 18. This was the King Salman’s first visit to China.
WinSun said it will bring its global, internet-based 3D printing platform to build an online docking of architectural resources in Saudi Arabia.
The joint venture aims to carry out localised 3D printing services within the Middle Eastern nation promptly and efficiently, it stated.
The Chinese group said Al Mobty's decision to use 3D printing technology was a natural one as it resulted in reduction of construction waste, savings on material and labour costs, use of eco-friendly printing materials.
Also a short construction period means that 3D printed construction is a viable option for Saudi Arabia’s desert climate, an issue that presents frequent problems for traditional construction methods, said senior company officials at WinSun.
The Chinese 3D printing company said it plans to meet these needs with a new business model for green buildings, to be used not only in Saudi Arabia but globally.
It will provide equipment rental, brand use, and other assets in order to help partner companies embrace 3D printing building technology as quickly and seamlessly as possible.
WinSun said it was committed to completing 100 packages of 3D printing equipment for delivery to Saudi Arabia within the next six months.
Trade Arabia
22 March
