Dubai aims to build world's first office building, printed with 3-D technology

The United Arab Emirates says the Gulf commercial hub of Dubai will soon add the world's first office building made using three-dimensional printer technology to its collection of eye-catching buildings.

Emirati Minister of Cabinet Affairs Mohammed al-Gergawi said on Tuesday that the project is part of a broader effort to embrace cutting-edge technology and make the Gulf state "a global hub for innovation and 3-D printing."

The roughly 2,000 square-foot office building and furniture used inside will be printed out layer by layer from a mixture of reinforced concrete, gypsum and plastic.

The project is a partnership with WinSun Global, a Chinese company which has begun assembling buildings made using 3-D printers.

Dubai is already home to the world's tallest building, the 2,717-foot (828-meter) tall Burj Khalifa.