- IKEA stores in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dhahran will switch off their non-essential lights in support of Earth Hour on Saturday (March 31) for one hour starting at 8:30 p.m.
Earth Hour is a global World Wildlife Fund (WWF) climate change initiative. Individuals, businesses, governments and communities are invited to turn their lights off for one hour, all at the same time, to show their support for global action on climate change.
The event began in Sydney in 2007, when 2 million people switched off their lights.
Last year more than 50 million people around the globe participated from 4,616 cities and towns across 128 countries by switching off their lights for one hour.
Global landmarks that participated last year were London’s Big Ben, the Sydney Opera House and the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur. Estimates are that more than 100 countries including Saudi Arabia will be participating this year. IKEA and the WWF have co-operated on a global level since 2002 toward a decreased ecological footprint by promoting responsible and sustainable use of resources.
Today the partnership includes projects on forestry, climate and sustainable cotton production on three continents.