Kleindienst Group to ramp up villa construction on 'Heart of Europe' amid high demand.

Dubai-based developer Kleindienst Group has altered plans for its $5 billion ‘Heart of Europe’ project to include more villas as a result of higher than expected demand, according to company chairman Josef Kleindienst.

In an interview with Arabian Business, Kleindienst said that over 100 villas have so far been constructed at the project.

“We have villas [built] on Sweden, Germany, and floating villas around Honeymoon Island,” he said. “The majority of these villas have been sold on ‘signature contracts’. The owner decides the final fit-out and furnishing. Our obligation is to put it in place.”

With the villas finished, the owners now have six months to decide on final arrangements, with another several months allotted for contractors to confirm and the work to be done.

According to Kleindienst, the high demand for already completed villas has led the company to decide to expand its villa offerings in future stages of construction.

“All our villas [that have been put up for sale] are sold. Because of the high demand for villas, we’ve decided to change the Switzerland island from a previously planned hotel concept to a villa concept. It will be redesigned to provide more villas.

“It’s still in the design phase and still hasn’t started the approval process,” he added. “But this will come.”

He did not disclose how many additional villas the island is likely to have.

Kleindienst added that UAE nationals and Saudis have so far constituted the largest groups of buyers, alongside Europeans of various nationalities.

The first phase of the project is slated for delivery in Q4 2020. The phase will consist of three islands – Sweden, Germany and Honeymoon islands – as well as 78 ‘floating seahorses’ and the Portafino Hotel.

Once complete, plans for the Heart of Europe call for 15 hotels, 4,000 holiday homes and more than 3,500 hotel keys.

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