For the third year in a row, the Kingdom took part in the Earth Hour campaign. Hundreds of thousands of people across the country turned off their lights and appliances at 8.30 p.m. for an hour, in an attempt to highlight environmental concerns and to call for a binding pact to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

In Jeddah, Garnd Kai fitness center was among those who participated.

“We may not save a lot of electricity during Earth Hour here, because it is only for one hour and not many people participate in it,” said Mohammed Bakhreba, marketing manager of the center.

Garnd Kai did not have workouts on during Earth Hour.

Earlier, it had urged its members to switch off the lights at their homes. “Next year, we will convey our message to lots of people: Switch off your lights to switch on your future,” said Bakhreba.

“It’s true, we can’t save the earth just by switching off the lights for one hour. But it’s a start and we will step in the right direction for a bigger leap,” he said.

Abdul Majeed, a university student, said, “We need to raise more awareness although already many friends have participated in this global event. More people should know about Earth Hour. I am thinking of spreading the message through my friends and hope I can contribute to the public knowledge about Earth Hour.”

A female shopper said she came to IKEA just to see how they were going to participate in the event while the customers were shopping.

“They just switched off the outside lights and those in the parking lot,” she said. “If all shopping malls and other organizations did the same, it wouldn’t do harm to anyone. It’s simple,” said Fatima Abdullah.

“I think the Saudi government should take part in this event and show solidarity with Mother Nature,” she added.