By LAURA BASHRAHEEL | ARAB NEWS
JEDDAH: For the first time since it started three years ago, Saudi Arabia will participate in Earth Hour — a snowballing grassroots movement aimed at thwarting climate change, which urges people and institutions to switch off their lights for an hour at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Several private companies and banks are participating in the initiative to show their support by switching off their lights. The event in the Kingdom is sponsored by Saudi Wildlife, which hopes to raise awareness about the environment and is encouraging as many people as possible to participate. News of the project has spread across the Kingdom via social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and blogs.
Earth Hour aims to encourage people around the world to reduce emissions and be more aware of climate change. Saudi Arabia is participating alongside 92 countries; lights are expected to be switched off in almost 2,500 cities across the world.
Earth Hour started three years ago as an Australian initiative to draw the attention of people, organizations and government agencies to the importance of easing pressure on the earth’s resources and reducing the impact of industrial development on the climate.
In Saudi Arabia, participating companies include Ikea, Kai Fitness Center, Al-Baik and a number of banks. Some will turn off their electric signs to show their support. Other companies such as Kai will turn off their lights in all of their clubs. Ikea stores in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dhahran will switch off their non-essential lights, such as outside signs and car park lights.
Badr Al-Shebani, CEO of Kai Fitness Center, said the company’s participation in the event is part of its social activities to encourage people to cut electricity. “We want to increase awareness about the issue of climate change,” he said.
Kai Fitness Center will turn off electricity at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, use candles and hang posters with information about saving electricity.
Despite many private companies and shops participating, the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) announced electricity will not be cut off anywhere in the Kingdom. According to local reports, Ali bin Saleh Al-Barak, the CEO of SEC, said the company will not cut power during the event.
He said it has been common practice for other countries to observe Earth Hour by disconnecting power in their main cities for an hour from 8:30 p.m. to draw attention to the environment and pollution. He added that the Kingdom’s participation is symbolic.
Online forums and blogs are spreading awareness by telling people what should be done. They are calling for people to turn off most, if not all, of their nonessential lights and electronic items in their homes and offices such as stereos, television sets and video games.
Arab News
