A combo image shows the Burj Khalifa participating in Earth Hour.

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

UAE landmarks on Saturday marked the Earth Hour 2022 by switching off lights between 8:30 — 9:30pm.

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi went dark for an hour, in committing to contributing to the consolidation of a culture of sustainability.

The Wahat Al Karama, which is also known by its English translation “Oasis of Dignity,” a war memorial and monument in Abu Dhabi, also participated in the “Earth Hour” event by turning off all its lights to contribute to reducing energy consumption.

Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, turned off its light at exactly 8:30pm for an hour.

The Saudi pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai went dark to mark the Earth Hour.

Dubai residents joined millions worldwide in expressing their solidarity with efforts to reduce climate changes by turning off unnecessary lights and electric appliances during Earth Hour between 8:30 - 9:30 PM on Saturday.

This year’s Earth Hour was held under the theme ‘Shape Our Future.’

Dubai’s landmarks and government and private buildings also took part in the event by turning off their lights for an hour.

The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) recorded savings of 329 megawatts (MW) in electricity consumption in the Emirate during Earth Hour 2022, equivalent to a reduction of 132 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. These savings are 13% higher than the savings recorded during earth Hour 2021, where DEWA recorded savings of 291 MW.

In 2008, the UAE became the first country in the Arab world to participate in Earth Hour. Over the years, Earth Hour celebrations have contributed to raising awareness about energy conservation.

Earth Hour is WWF's global environmental movement. Born in Sydney in 2007, Earth Hour has grown to become the world's largest grassroots movement for the environment, inspiring individuals, communities, businesses and organizations in more than 180 countries and territories to take tangible climate action for over a decade.

More recently, Earth Hour has focused on raising awareness and inspiring conversations on why nature matters. The movement recognises the role of individuals in creating solutions to the planet’s most pressing environmental challenges and harnesses the collective power of its millions of supporters to build a sustainable future for all.