The Future of Construction 3D Printing: Qatar Establishes the World's Largest Airplane-Sized 3D Printer

COBOD, a private company based in Denmark, which is a global leader in 3D printing construction solutions, has established the world's largest construction 3D printer (BODXL) at a school construction site in Doha, Qatar, in partnership with UCC Holding.

According to industrial surveys, COBOD accounts for more than 50% of all the 3D-printed buildings globally. Previously, Saudi Arabia's company Elite for Construction & Development had purchased a BOD2 construction 3D printer from COBOD, which was the largest construction 3D printer at that time. COBOD is the market leader in providing 3D printers for construction.

About the largest construction 3D printer

The company has modified two of its large BODXL machines, measuring them to be 50 meters in length, 15 meters in height, and 30 meters in width, making them the largest construction 3D printers ever created. The 3D printer can be compared to the size of a Boeing 737 hangar. The BODXL 3D printer is able to construct buildings with up to 7500 square meters of built-up area. The 3D printer can extrude materials at high scan speeds of up to 500 mm/s.

Photo Source: UCC Holding

Construction of 3D printed schools

This project will see two entire public schools built from concrete layers in the desert, mimicking the curved and flowing wall structure of sand dunes. Two schools are going to be built, and each school is expected to cover an area of 20,000 square meters, totalling the total area of 40,000 square meters. The project is also set to qualify for the Guinness World Record for the largest construction structure created using 3D printing. For the past eight months, a devoted construction team of civil engineers, architects, material scientists, and 3D printer experts have been working and performed 100 full-scale test prints at a test site in Doha.

What impact is it going to have?

The BODXL 3D printer uses advanced automation and digital control systems, significantly ramping up construction timeframes while reducing dependency on wasteful techniques and manual labour. By reducing material waste, carbon footprints, and efficiency, the project promotes sustainability and is in line with Qatar's National Vision 2030. As of mid-2025, the school project is actively underway, and the school construction is expected to be completed by 2025.

Also read: The Future of Construction 3D Printing: Qatar Establishes the World's Largest Airplane-Sized 3D Printer