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= Kleindienst Group = Kleindienst Group is the largest European real estate company in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is the developer of the iconic The Heart of Europe project on The World, Dubai.

History
The company was founded by Austrian entrepreneur Josef Kleindienst. Established over 30 years ago in Austria and Hungary and present in Dubai since 2003, Kleindienst Group has more than 1,500 employees over its diverse portfolio of businesses which include property development, construction, hospitality, property brokerage, and corporate business centres [1 ].

The Heart of Europe
The Heart of Europe, part of the Kleindienst Group, is a celebration of the best European experiences in an unrivalled holiday home destination comprising six islands – Germany, Sweden, St Petersburg, Switzerland, The Floating Venice and Main Europe - with 13 hotels and resorts including Portofino Hotel, Ikaria Hotel, Ibiza Hotel, St Petersburg Resort, Côte d’Azure, The Floating Venice, London Hotel, Scandinavian Hotel, Amsterdam Hotel, Munich Hotel, Empress Elizabeth Hotel, Marbella Hotel and Tsar Hotel [2 ].

The Heart of Europe is committed to delivering the best of European culture, heritage and lifestyle through traditional architecture, authentic experiences and innovative technology. The development is located in a cluster of six islands nestled in The World archipelago, 4km from the Dubai coastline. The Heart of Europe brings never-seen-before experiences, including the world’s first floating and underwater living experience, the first dedicated wedding hotel, and the world’s first artificially engineered, climate controlled raining streets.

''“People told me it could not be built and it would be impossible, but it’s not impossible…The properties have been designed as second homes – Dubai’s first luxury area for UAE residents to own a holiday property in their own country, instead of jetting to the Maldives, Mauritius or the Seychelles. The second-home market is a new concept for Dubai. While New York has the Hamptons and multiple cities in Europe have their own countryside and seaside getaway spots, Dubai has lacked an area where people leave their primary property and head to a second home for the weekend.”''

Quote from Josef Kleindienst to The National newspaper, 13 August 2018 [3 ] 

Floating Seahorse
The Floating Seahorse is one The Heart of Europe’s iconic developments and is the world’s first luxury underwater living residence [4 ]. Each Floating Seahorse spans over 4,000 square feet across three levels. Over 200 specialists and professionals from 25 different countries were involved in its design and construction. Each Floating Seahorse has its own coral reef and glass-bottom private Jacuzzi.

Controversy and subsequent case
At the 2018 New Year celebrations in Dubai, it was reported that a Floating Seahorse had sunk due to bad weather, near the Burj Al Arab [5 ]. The company later successfully challenged those claims, proving that it was not a Floating Seahorse but merely a temporary events platform that had not been designed for extreme weather conditions.

Kleindienst Group is building 131 Floating Seahorses that will be delivered between November 2018 and the end of 2019.

Sweden Island
Sweden Island’s shoreline will be home to 10 prestigious beach-front palaces inspired by the beautifully crafted and intricate structure of an inverted Swedish Viking vessel [6 ]. The roof of each majestic residence will resemble the upturned hull of a Viking ship and will be made of glass. Inside each luxury abode, a stylish interior unfolds. Synonymous with clean lines, stunning design features and functionality, each Sweden Beach Palace offers the very best in magical Scandinavian living.

Special features also include snow and sauna rooms [7 ], a private party room, breath-taking views of Dubai’s epic skyline from the glass roof, expansive balconies, a gym, spa, private infinity pool and landscaped gardens. Each Sweden Beach Palace will be finished to the highest specifications throughout. Owners will have the option to incorporate a customized, state-of-the-art party / chill-out floor inside the roof area of the property and the palaces will be fitted with Bentley furnishing.

Portofino Hotel
Portofino Hotel is the GCC region’s first five-star, family-only hotel, catering to adults with children of all ages [8 ]. The hotel is located on Main Europe Island operating on a European time zone and with the Euro currency. Inspired by the fishing village of Portofino in Genoa, Italy a summer playground of the rich, it will be managed by one of the world’s leading family hotel operators dedicated to providing the most enjoyable vacation experience of a lifetime.

The design of Portofino Hotel is synonymous with traditional European design and contemporary Mediterranean architecture. The hotel will have 489 Princess suites including the exclusive Villa Adriana on the top floor [9 ]. All luxury accommodation will offer sea views and the suites on the upper floors will have their own private rooftop plunge pools. Guests will arrive at Parragi Bay, the hotel’s dedicated marina. Key features of the hotel are: the Queen’s Club for mothers only, Kingdom of Portofino Kids’ Club, luxury boutiques, 514 aquariums to represent every marine species found in the Arabian Gulf, five swimming pools including an Olympic pool, four restaurants and six bars, Castello Theatre, yoga terrace and a world-first, 1km climate and weather-controlled stretch of streets with cafes, retail and supermarkets. Soft launch is set for December 2018.

Germany Island
Germany Island will feature a mixture of lagoon and beach villas providing the backdrop to Germany’s inherent rich cultural heritage with modern concepts of sustainability also embedded in the beautiful design and experience [10 ].

Germany Island will be home to 15 contemporary beachfront villas and 17 lagoon villas, with handovers scheduled to commence by the end of 2018.

Kleindienst Marine Life Science Centre
Kleindienst Group is committed to protect the environment and marine life around The Heart of Europe and has established the Kleindienst Marine Life Science Centre to produce up to 100,000 corals a year to aid the creation of coral reefs around the resort islands [11 ].

Links

 * 1) https://www.thoe.com/en/about-us/kleindienst/
 * 2) https://www.timeoutdubai.com/aroundtown/features/inside-dubais-heart-of-europe-island-development
 * 3) https://www.thenational.ae/uae/dubai-s-the-world-islands-inside-the-first-country-set-to-open-at-the-heart-of-europe-1.759682
 * 4) http://www.constructionweekonline.com/article-50378-dubais-floating-home-builder-eyes-construction-world-record/
 * 5) https://gulfnews.com/news/uae/society/floating-house-sinks-off-burj-al-arab-area-1.2151969
 * 6) https://www.thenational.ae/uae/inside-the-dh100m-sweden-beach-palace-on-dubai-s-the-world-islands-in-pictures-1.759676
 * 7) http://gulfbusiness.com/video-5bn-heart-europe-project-snow-rooms-seahorse-villas-takes-shape-dubai/
 * 8) http://www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/34371-kleindienst-group-to-open-heart-of-europes-first-hotel-in-dubai-in100-days/
 * 9) http://meconstructionnews.com/31592/kleindiensts-the-portofino-hotel-soft-launch-scheduled-for-december-2018
 * 10) https://www.arabianindustry.com/construction/news/2018/jul/31/first-heart-of-europe-homes-set-to-handover-by-year-end-5960136/
 * 11) http://whatson.ae/dubai/2018/10/the-first-hotel-on-the-world-islands-is-set-to-open-this-year/