Spanish conglomerate Acciona has unveiled the Middle East's first 3D-printed bus stop in the UAE.

The structure was commissioned by the Ajman Transport Authority and will be installed in the northern emirate.

The bus stop, which weighs nearly three tonnes and is 4.5 x 2 x 2.3 metres in size, consists of three printed pieces. It was printed in less than 10 hours.

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Luis Clemente, chief operating officer of Acciona's 3D concrete printing business, said: "The benefits of manufacturing this type of urban furniture with our 3D concrete printing technology, as opposed to the conventional construction methods, are the reduction of waste (no moulds or forms are used whatsoever), the lessening of CO2 emissions and the possibility of having total freedom over the structural design. In this specific case, the bus stop’s design allows for the placement of solar panels on the roof."

The bus stop was printed using Acciona's powder bed 3D printer in Dubai, which is the largest of its kind in the world.

Powder bed technology creates three-dimensional models by superimposing successive layers of material. The technique allows the production of highly complex pieces, without the need for any moulds or formwork.