Dubai: The Burj Khalifa and other UAE landmarks went dark for an hour on Saturday as thousands of people across the nation joined millions worldwide in switching off their lights to mark Earth Hour.
Across the country, key landmarks such as the Burj Khalifa, Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Burj Al Arab, Raffles Hotel, Etihad Towers, Al Qasba and many other buildings faded into the shadows for one hour from 8.30pm to 9.30pm.
To mark the occasion in Dubai, which this year took place during a rare wet and windy weekend, two local bodies hosted a environment-themed family festival in a park in sight of the Burj Khalifa.
There, as the lights turned off, the Emirates Wildlife Society, which is associated with the World Wildlife Fund, (EWS-WWF), and the emirate’s electricity and water authority (Dewa) held an Earth Hour walkathon. The walk saw participants slowly track the route through the dimmed district.
Leading the crowd was Dr Thani Ahmad Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, and Saeed Mohammad Al Tayer, Dewa’s managing director and CEO.
Earlier on, shortly before the skies opened again — sending participants scurrying into the marquees and event tents — some visitors said that for them, Earth Hour had become an annual tradition.
“We are going to home and then will be switching off all the lights,” said Anil, an Indian expat who has lived in Dubai for two decades.
“We will light candles,” said his friend, G.T. Nair, who was taking refuge under his umbrella. “During the hour, we won’t be using any electrical equipment.” The two friends have known each other for 12 years, and have taken part in Earth Hour several times.
An Indian resident who lived nearby had come down from his apartment to join in at the festival.
“I just came down to see what was happening,” said Arshad Bhatt, another Indian expat.
“At home, and in my office, we are using all sustainable energy devices such as LED light bulbs for a number of years.”
Another resident who lives nearby said that this would be her and her family’s first Earth Hour in Dubai.
At the moment, Bhatt’s children were studying for their school exams, but were just about to wrap up to celebrate Earth Hour. The family planned to take part in the Earth Hour walk — after making sure all the lights are switched off at home.
“We have guests today, so it’s not so easy. But we will try,” said Aniko, a Hungarian expat.
She added that the heavily-packaged gifts and freebies given out by sponsors seemed to clash with Earth Hour’s green vibe.
“It is Earth day today, but they are giving so many bags and packaging out here, and that’s not so good,” she said.
Holistic vibe
This year, Earth Hour does not have a specific theme, EWS-WWF director-general Ida Tillisch told Gulf News this week. However, the latest annual switch-off should encourage residents to observe Earth Hour at a more holistic level.
As well as turning off all unnecessary lights, UAE residents can pledge via social media to cut down on their energy usage, the EWS-WWF said.
This year’s Earth Hour marked the tenth time Dubai has taken part in the global event, which began in Australia in 2007. Since Dubai’s first Earth Hour in 2008 — making it the first Arab city to take part — the city has saved at least 1,596MWh of electricity — enough to power 400,000 homes for an entire year.
Government officials see Earth Hour as a tiny but symbolic part of the resource-hungry city’s plan to have the lowest carbon footprint in the world by 2050.
“We do expect to save more power this year,” Dewa official Sultan Al Za’abi told Gulf News during the event.
“The purpose of the Earth Hour is to emphasise the importance of using less electricity, and making it a way [of life]. This event shows how we are striving to save the environment and reduce carbon emissions.”
Over in Sharjah, the Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA) hosted a public event at the Al Majaz water front. The programme of events included presentation about environmental awareness, a bicycle ride, environmental competitions and workshops. Municipality buildings in Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah also went dark.
