Regulating the Use of Three-dimensional
Printing in
Construction Works in the
Emirate of Dubai[1]
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We, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai,
After perusal of:
Law No. (3) of 2003
Establishing the Executive Council of the Emirate of Dubai;
Law No. (13) of 2011
Regulating the Conduct of Economic Activities in the Emirate of Dubai and its
amendments;
Law No. (5) of 2021
Concerning the Dubai International Financial Centre;
Decree No. (22) of 2009
Concerning Special Development Zones in the Emirate of Dubai;
The Order of 1961
Establishing the Dubai Municipality;
Regulation No. (10) of
2006 Concerning Applications for Exemption from Compliance with Planning and
Construction Regulations in the Emirate of Dubai;
Regulation No. (3) of
2007 Concerning Applications to Modify the Permitted Use of Land and Buildings
in the Emirate of Dubai;
Local Order No. (89) of
1994 Regulating the Engineering Consultancy Profession in the Emirate of Dubai
and its amendments;
Local Order No. (2) of
1999 Concerning Classification and Regulation of Land Use in the Emirate of
Dubai and its amendments;
Local Order No. (3) of
1999 Regulating Construction Works in the Emirate of Dubai and its amendments;
and
The legislation
establishing and regulating free zones in the Emirate of Dubai,
Do hereby issue this Decree.
The
following words and expressions, wherever mentioned in this Decree, will have
the meaning indicated opposite each of them unless the context implies
otherwise:
|
Emirate: |
The
Emirate of Dubai. |
|
Executive
Council: |
The
Executive Council of the Emirate of Dubai. |
|
DM: |
The
Dubai Municipality. |
|
Director
General: |
The
director general of the DM. |
|
Competent
Authority: |
This
includes the DM; the authorities supervising Special Development Zones and
free zones, such as the Dubai International Financial Centre; and any other
entity legally authorised to issue building permits and to control
Construction Works in the Emirate. |
|
Construction
Works: |
Any
construction, demolition, or maintenance works of Buildings, or any additions
or modifications thereto. This includes excavation and backfilling works. |
|
3D
Printing Technology: |
A
technical process designed to implement Construction Works using a 3D
Printer. |
|
3D
Printer: |
A
numerically controlled machine that mixes Raw Materials and Synthetic
Additives and pours the mixture to form the main structure of a Building or
any of its elements based on the plans and dimensions entered in the
printer’s electronic programmes, without the need for direct human
intervention or for using moulds to form that structure as in traditional
concrete casting. |
|
3D
Printing System: |
An
integrated and specific set of work processes and methodologies, devices,
equipment, Mixtures, and electronic programmes required for manufacturing and
casting the main building materials using a 3D Printer. |
|
Mixtures: |
The
Raw Materials and Synthetic Additives used in constructing a building, or any
of its elements, using the 3D Printing Technology as per the ratios and
standards prescribed for Construction Works and the adopted engineering
specifications. |
|
Raw
Materials: |
The
materials used in producing the Mixtures required for Construction using the
3D Printing Technology. |
|
Synthetic
Additives: |
The
synthetic materials or chemical compounds added to Raw Materials to give the
Mixtures specific properties. |
|
Register: |
A
register maintained by the DM for registering licensed and classified
Contractors in the Emirate. |
|
Conformity
Certificate: |
A
document issued by the competent entities in the Emirate stating that a 3D
Printer meets the adopted standard specifications. |
|
Engineer: |
A
Person licensed, in accordance with the legislation in force, to carry on the
activity of designing Construction Works in the Emirate using the 3D Printing
Technology and/ or supervising the Construction Works implemented using that
technology. |
|
Contractor: |
A
Person licensed in the Emirate, in accordance with the legislation in force,
to implement Construction Works using the 3D Printing Technology. This
includes the main Contractors and other Contractors classified as being authorised
to carry on Construction contracting activities using the 3D Printing
Technology. |
|
Person: |
A
natural or legal person. |
The
provisions of this Decree apply to all Construction Works implemented in the
Emirate using the 3D Printing Technology and to all Persons working in this
field in the Emirate, including in Special Development Zones and free zones,
such as the Dubai International Financial Centre.
This
Decree aims to:
1.
promote
the Emirate as a leading regional and international hub in the area of using
the 3D Printing Technology;
2.
reduce
the costs and time required for implementing Construction Works,
with a view to enhancing the economic growth of the Emirate and improving its
competitiveness at the international level;
3.
preserve
the environment by reducing the waste resulting from Construction Works;
4.
regulate
the use of the 3D Printing Technology in implementing Construction Works
throughout the Emirate;
5.
attract
leading companies specialised in implementing Construction Works using the 3D
Printing Technology to operate in the Emirate;
6.
create
an environment that encourages using the 3D Printing Technology in implementing
Construction Works, particularly by real property Owners and developers,
investors, Engineers, and Contractors; and
7.
gradually
increase the percentage of Buildings constructed using the 3D Printing
Technology in the Emirate, with a view to reaching a minimum percentage of
twenty-five percent (25%) of the Buildings to be built starting from the effective date of this Decree until the beginning of
2030.
For
the purpose of achieving the objectives of this Decree, the DM will have the
duties and powers to:
1.
develop
and implement an integrated system to plan, design, and implement Construction
Works and decorative structures and models in the Emirate using the 3D Printing
Technology;
2.
ensure
the use of the 3D Printing Technology in implementing Construction Works as per
the adopted engineering standards and specifications, and develop the programmes and implementing bylaws required for this purpose;
3.
qualify,
register, and classify Engineers and Contractors who use the 3D Printing Technology
in their work, and establish the rules, criteria, and requirements required for
this purpose;
4.
determine
the tests to be conducted on the Raw Materials, the Synthetic Additives, and
the Mixtures used in implementing Construction Works using the 3D Printing Technology
and any other tests to be conducted on the structural components of Buildings
constructed using that technology, in accordance with the bylaws,
building codes, requirements, specifications, and standards adopted in this
respect;
5.
create
a database of the Construction Works implemented in the Emirate using the 3D
Printing Technology, with a view to facilitating access to the data and
information required for establishing the technical specifications and
standards for developing the 3D Printing Technology;
6.
conduct
technical studies and experiments to develop the 3D Printing Technology; and
cooperate with research, scientific, and engineering entities specialised in
this field;
7.
develop
the plans required for the achievement of the Emirate’s strategy aiming at
using the 3D Printing Technology in the design and implementation of
Construction Works;
8.
prepare
templates for the contracts related to the 3D Printing Technology, which
contain the general terms and conditions governing the use of the 3D Printing
Technology in designing and implementing Construction Works;
9.
enter
into partnerships with international establishments and consultancy houses
specialised in the 3D Printing Technology, with a view to promoting the use of
this technology in the Emirate and deriving the maximum benefit from the same;
and
10. exercise any other duties or powers required
for the achievement of the objectives of this Decree, as assigned to it by the
Executive Council.
a.
No
Person may conduct any activity that is related to implementing Construction
Works using the 3D Printing Technology in the Emirate or promote himself as
conducting that activity without first obtaining the relevant permit from the
DM and having himself classified and registered by the DM in the Register. The
permit will be issued, the classification will be determined, and the
registration in the Register will be made, in accordance with the conditions
and procedures prescribed by the relevant resolution of the Director General.
b.
Notwithstanding
the provisions of any other legislation, no entity in the Emirate, including
those supervising Special Development Zones and free zones, such as the Dubai
International Financial Centre, may issue a commercial licence to an applicant
to conduct any activity related to implementing Construction Works using the 3D
Printing Technology without the applicant first obtaining the relevant permit
from the DM and having himself registered in the Register in accordance with
the provisions of paragraph (a) of this Article.
c.
A
main Contractor may implement Construction Works using the 3D Printing
Technology only through another Contractor who is classified as being
authorised to conduct the Construction contracting activity using this
technology, or where that main Contractor is licensed and classified as being
authorised to conduct the same as a secondary activity besides his main
activity.
In
addition to his obligations under the legislation in force, an Engineer must:
1.
establish,
in line with the relevant requirements, specifications, and standards
prescribed by the DM, clear technical specifications and standards for work
processes within Construction sites in which the 3D Printing Technology is used,
and for any materials and Mixtures to be used therein, including the concrete
Mixtures used in Construction Works;
2.
be
familiar, before commencing the design of Construction Works, with the
capabilities of the 3D Printer to be used in implementing such works; with the
relevant technical and engineering standards, and with the Mixtures to be used
and their engineering specifications and standards;
3.
ensure
that the design of the Construction Works to be implemented using the 3D
Printing Technology is fully implementable; and take all actions and provide
all guarantees that ensure the validity and accuracy of the data, information,
and specifications of the 3D Printer before commencing the designing;
4.
verify
that the 3D Printer to be used in Building Construction Works has valid
Conformity Certificates;
5.
determine
the Raw Materials and Synthetic Additives to be used in implementing
Construction Works using the 3D Printing Technology in accordance with the
relevant adopted specifications stipulated in the building requirements and
specifications bylaw adopted in this respect, and with the green Building
standards;
6.
ensure
that the required tests are conducted on the Mixtures used in implementing
Construction Works using the 3D Printing Technology to verify that these
Mixtures are compliant with the relevant specifications and standards adopted
by the DM;
7.
supervise
the Construction site through qualified engineers in accordance with the
regulations adopted by the DM in this respect; and verify that Construction
Works are implemented as per the issued building permit, that security and
safety requirements are met in the Construction site, and that the Contractor
and all Persons operating the 3D Printing Systems are qualified and hold valid licenses
authorising them to work in the Emirate;
8.
not authorise
the use of any building materials, systems, or equipment that are not compliant
with the 3D Printing Systems; and
9.
perform
any other obligations determined pursuant to the relevant resolutions issued by
the Competent Authority.
In
addition to his obligations under the legislation in force, a Contractor must:
1.
not
implement any Construction Works using the 3D Printing Technology without first
obtaining a licence from the Competent Authority;
2.
obtain
a valid Conformity Certificate for the 3D Printer before using the same in
implementing Construction Works, whether it exists in the Construction site or
elsewhere;
3.
ensure
that the 3D Printer is operated by Persons who are qualified and trained for
this purpose;
4.
obtain
the required approvals for all phases of implementation of Construction Works
using the 3D Printing Technology in accordance with the procedures and rules
adopted in this respect by the Competent Authority;
5.
in
the course of implementing Construction Works using the 3D Printing Technology,
conduct the necessary tests for such works in laboratories accredited in the
Emirate, in accordance with the specifications and standards adopted by the DM
in this respect and with the designs of the project;
6.
use
the Raw Materials permitted in the Emirate in the Mixtures to be used in the
Construction Works implemented using the 3D Printing Technology; and conduct
the tests and provide the certificates confirming the quality of such
materials, in accordance with the relevant requirements prescribed by the
Competent Authority;
7.
provide,
prior to obtaining a building permit in respect of any Construction Works to be
implemented using the 3D Printing Technology, an insurance policy acceptable to
the Competent Authority, and issued by an insurance company licensed to operate
in the Emirate, to cover any damage that may result from using the 3D Printing
Technology; and
8.
perform
any other obligations determined pursuant to the relevant resolutions issued by
the Competent Authority.
a.
The
provisions of this Decree will not prejudice the functions and powers of the
authorities supervising Special Development Zones and free zones, such as the
Dubai International Financial Centre, with respect to auditing and approving
the engineering plans and designs of the Construction Works implemented using
the 3D Printing Technology; and to supervising and controlling such works
within the zones they supervise. In exercising their duties, these authorities
must comply with the provisions of this Decree.
b.
The
authorities supervising Special Development Zones and free zones, such as the
Dubai International Financial Centre, must contribute to achieving the
objectives of this Decree, particularly achieving the percentage prescribed by sub-paragraph
(7) of Article (3) of this Decree in the zones they supervise.
a.
The
DM must coordinate with the concerned government and non-government entities on
providing the support, incentives, facilitation, and benefits required to
encourage investors, real property developers, Owners, Contractors, and
Engineers to use the 3D Printing Technology to implement Construction Works in
the Emirate.
b.
The
DM will prepare a list of the incentives, means of facilitation, and benefits to be provided by government and
non-government entities; submit the same to the Executive Council for approval;
and follow up their implementation in coordination with the Competent Authorities.
The
legislation regulating Construction Works applicable at the Competent Authorities
will apply to the extent that such legislation does not contradict the
provisions of this Decree.
The
Director General will issue the resolutions required for the implementation of
this Decree. These resolutions will be published in the Official Gazette.
Any
provision in any other legislation will be repealed to the extent that it contradicts
the provisions of this Decree.
This
Decree will be published in the Official Gazette and will come into force on
the day on which it is published.
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Ruler of Dubai
Issued in Dubai on 12 July 2021
Corresponding to 2 Thu al-Hijjah 1442 A.H.
©2021 The Supreme Legislation
Committee in the Emirate of Dubai
[1]Every effort has been made to produce an
accurate and complete English version of this legislation. However, for the
purpose of its interpretation and application, reference must be made to the
original Arabic text. In case of conflict, the Arabic text will prevail.