Video: Dubai’s RTA and Burj Khalifa switch off lights for Earth Hour 2025

Dubai: Dubai’s roads and Metro stations along with Burj Khalifa, the tallest tower in the world, went dark for an hour to observe Earth Hour on Saturday night.

Demonstrating its commitment to sustainability, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) of Dubai switched off the lights across the city’s roads, Dubai Metro stations, Rashidiya Metro Depot, and Customer Happiness Centres from 8.30pm to 9.30pm.

Taking to social media, the RTA shared the impactful images that showcased the lights being dimmed, urging the public to reflect on their role in sustainability.

Earlier in the day, the RTA had urged residents to switch off lights and dedicate an hour to create the “Biggest Hour for Earth” by spending 60 minutes to pay it forward for our planet.

“Last year, supporters from more than 190 countries and territories contributed over 410,000 hours. Together, we can make a difference,” the authority added.

Special show for Earth

Meanwhile, Emaar Properties, the developer behind the iconic Burj Khalifa, also marked the occasion in its unique fashion. The world’s tallest building went dark for the duration of Earth Hour, while its impressive LED facade displayed a powerful visual narrative.

The LED screen, which spans the height of the entire building, featured an array of nature-inspired imagery, including marine life, forests, birds soaring, and plants growing from the Earth. Messages promoting Earth Hour’s goal of collective action for a sustainable future flashed across the screen, which included:

“Small actions, big impact, Switch off for a brighter future and Empowering sustainability for all.”

Emaar had also urged the global community to unite for a more sustainable tomorrow through the post. As Earth Hour coincided with World Water Day, the post also stressed the importance of water conservation in addition to energy-saving efforts.

Several other buildings including skyscrapers, residential communities and government buildings across Dubai also dimmed lights or completely switched them off for Earth Hour. Uptown Dubai shared a video and said the building and common area lights were switched off in the Uptown Tower.

Earth Hour is a global event organised by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) where individuals, communities, and businesses turn off non-essential lights for one hour to raise awareness about climate change and promote environmental sustainability. It typically takes place annually on the last Saturday of March, encouraging people to take action toward a more sustainable future.