Dubai is known for being a luxury travel destination and they are creating another luxury experience with their Heart of Europe megaresort off the coast of Dubai. The Kleindienst Group is developing the Heart of Europe that is a megaresort that is part of a network of man-made islands known as “The World” as from an aerial view the network of islands looks like a small world map.
“The World” features a Coral Institute dedicated to regenerating and nurse corals using a technique called “fragmentation” in which pieces of coral are cut using a small electric saw, allowing the coral to potentially regenerate hundreds of times. The pieces of coral are stored in water tanks with controlled conditions that are nursed and monitored by an expert team of marine biologists for 1-3 years during the growing process with the goal to grow enough to repopulate a reef.
A study conducted in 2018 determined that 73% of corals in the UAE have been wiped out by bleaching caused by climate change and human activity impacting the fragile ecosystem. The Coral Institute is working on regenerating corals while holding and protecting the stock of corals around the Arabian Gulf.
The Kleindienst Group is working on this development project to show that marine life and development can co-exist in a sustainable environment. The development project will feature luxury hotels, over 50tourist attractions at the Heart Of Europe, Floating Seahorse Villas (luxury houseboat concept), and 4,000 residential properties. The research for this article was sourced from Travel Tomorrow and CNN.
