Europe in the Desert

Before construction can begin on the Heart of Europe resort, the sand must be compacted using “vibro compaction,” a method used to create a denser soil by moving the sand particles closer together. This helps strengthen the ground for the concrete foundations of the buildings planned for construction on each of the six islands.

Construction has commenced on Sweden Island and 400 cubic meters of concrete for the foundation are being poured. The construction team is in a race against the clock, with only seven hours to complete this task so that the concrete dries as one solid mass.

Two and a half miles away from the mainland, the Heart of Europe has created its own Emergency Response Unit to keep its residents safe. A group of multi-disciplined firefighters work on the islands and are on call 24/7 to protect the guests. To improve safety in buildings that have not yet been constructed, the ERU performs emergency simulations every day in one of the island’s first villas.

Landscape Gardner Richard Westcott must create a “desert jungle” on the islands to create a sense of privacy between the villas, which only stand 30 feet away from one another. However, this is proving to be difficult as the island’s environment takes a toll some of the plant life that has been delivered for the landscape project.

Can six sand islands, poking out of the Persian Gulf near Dubai, be transformed into the most luxurious holiday destination on earth? One man believes they can and he’s risking tens of millions of dollars to prove it.