Gulf Construction Online - Heart of Europe phases near completion

Dubai

Sweden island ... part of the first phase development of the Heart of Europe.

Heart of Europe phases near completion

01 April 2020

Kleindienst Group, the UAE’s largest European property developer, has announced that work is in full swing on its flagship leisure destination – The Heart of Europe – with Phase One and parts of Phase Two of the project set for delivery by October this year.

More than 1,500 construction workers, technicians, engineers and environmental experts are already working on the site to deliver the innovative dream island destination on time, says the developer.

The Heart of Europe comprises seven man-made islands reclaimed from the Arabian Gulf, part of The World – a cluster of 300 islands that make up a miniature version of the world just 4 km offshore from Dubai’s coast off the Jumeirah 1 beach.

The World is part of the vision of Dubai Government to create a number of island resorts that will reinforce the emirate’s global reputation as a major tourism destination.

The Heart of Europe ... comprising seven man-made islands.

The first phase of The Heart of Europe comprising three islands – Sweden, Germany and Honeymoon Island – besides around 78 Floating Seahorse Villas (three-level floating homes with underwater views) and the Portafino Hotel will be delivered in time for the Expo 2020 Dubai, thus adding greater cultural and entertainment attractions to the emirate’s offering.

Once complete, The Heart of Europe – which combines sustainability with innovation – will deliver 15 hotels with 4,000 holiday homes including the iconic Floating Seahorse Villas and over 3,500 hotel keys that will create 4,000 jobs and help boost the UAE’s sustainable tourism sector, says Kleindienst Group.

On the steady progress, Group Chairman Josef Kleindienst says: “The Heart of Europe is an out-of-the-world luxury leisure and hospitality island destination that one could only dream about. However, the dream is about to come true as we have substantially scaled up construction activities on all the seven islands.

“Today, we can confidently say that Phase One of The Heart of Europe will be delivered as the emirate gets ready to receive 25 million visitors during the Expo 2020 Dubai.”

“Some of our facilities, including holiday homes and hotel facilities, will be ready to receive the Expo 2020 Dubai guests and offer them unforgettable experiences and the sweetest memories that will inspire them to keep coming back to Dubai again and again,” he adds.

Giving a project update, Kleindienst says the first nine Floating Seahorse Villas (FSV) have already been ‘floated’ into position in the sea. The villas are being hoisted into place by construction cranes and anchored into position on the seabed. The final ballast will be set up, once the fit-out has been completed. Cleaning and maintenance below the waterline will be carried out by a specialist diving team in the next few weeks, it states.

Some 78 Floating Seahorse Villas will be delivered in the first phase.

Strategically anchored next to Germany, the heart-shaped, Maldivian-inspired Honeymoon Island and Portofino Hotel, a total of 78 FSV villas are being built ready for handover in the fourth quarter of 2020 when Phase One of the overall project will be completed.

Phase One also includes 10 prestigious beachfront palaces on Sweden Island; 15 contemporary style beachfront villas and 17 lagoon, on Germany Island, and the 489 Princess Suites at the Portofino Hotel on the main Europe Island.

“Our Floating Seahorse Villas are designed with creative imagination and engineered through innovation, ingenuity and precision. We were the first in the world to develop a luxury floating, above and underwater living experience,” he explains.

“Each of these Dh20-million ($5.4 million) Floating Seahorse Villas offers 4,000 sq ft of space over three levels and can sleep up to eight people. It includes a spectacular underwater floor and marine life, and four flexi living or sleeping areas, featuring state-of-the-art technology and outdoor climate-control features,” he states.

Among the most striking features are the 60-sq-m coral gardens situated outside every underwater window, with up to 11 species of coral and illuminated by a wealth of marine life from the Arabian Gulf.

“These underwater gardens protect and nurture marine life and are a classic example of our sustainable outlook and ambition,” adds Kleindienst.

According to him, the group has till date sold more than 80 of the total 131 units; of these 78 will be delivered by Q4 during the first phase and the rest will be completed during the third phase, along with the handover of Switzerland and its 60 sundrenched waterfront villas.

Kleindienst, he states, was also gearing up to deliver the Monaco and Nice boutique hotels at Côte D’Azur beach at the Main Europe island by the year-end.

The hotels feature picturesque courtyards, lagoon-shaped swimming pools, and hotel suites with ensuite viewing decks and sea views. With white sandy beaches and over 500,000 sq m of coral reefs, the pioneering project will also feature Spanish olive trees (aged between 100 and 1,500 years, specially sourced from Andalusia, a region in Spain’s southern coast) and the world’s first climate-controlled rainy street and snow plaza, he adds.

The group chairman says Heart of Europe had been designed with zero-discharge and zero micro-plastics policies to ensure the protection of the Arabian Gulf and species of marine life that reside around the seven islands.

“Sustainability and the protection of marine life have been pivotal in the development of the Heart of Europe. The project is home to the Coral Institute which spearheads a pioneering coral reef programme that aims at developing marine life in the surrounding waters,” he adds.