Buildings across the UAE went dark on Saturday to mark Earth Hour.
The event takes place every year on the last Saturday in March to raise awareness about the environmental issues facing the planet.
Millions of people and hundreds of businesses joined in by switching off their lights in solidarity with the Earth for 60 minutes at 8.30pm.
They included attractions at Yas Theme Parks and CLYMB Abu Dhabi on Yas Island, in addition to Al Ain Zoo, which also held online events for staff to further develop “ a culture of environmental protection”.
Elsewhere in Abu Dhabi, the Founder’s Memorial and Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque joined in, among others.
The annual event is usually marked by in-person events, but the campaign has moved online for the last two years due to Covid-19.
Each year has a special focus, and for 2021 it was about how the destruction of nature raises the risk of pandemics.
Evidence suggests that Covid-19 is a zoonotic disease – one which jumped from animals to humans.
A World Wildlife Fund report, published in 2020, warned of the risk of a new zoonotic disease in the future.
It predicted that the likelihood of a disease that could be transferred from animals to humans was "higher than ever, with the potential to wreak havoc on health, economies and global security”.
Researchers in New Zealand have previously linked the emergence of Ebola, one of the world’s deadliest viruses, with the destruction of animal habitat due to deforestation in West and Central Africa.
Like Sars-Cov-2, the virus is believed to have originated in bats, which are the natural reservoir for hundreds of deadly viruses.
This included the Marburg virus and Nipah viruses, which have caused outbreaks in Africa and India.
On Monday, thousands of people across the GCC pledged their support to the Water Hour campaign on this year’s World Water Day.
They promised to conserve water with a few small changes to daily life.
These included pledging to wash dishes in a dishwasher rather than by hand, turning off the water when brushing their teeth and fixing all leaky faucets and showers.
Cities around the world go dark - in pictures
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Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
Seven tips from Emirates NBD
1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details
2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet
3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details
4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure
5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs (one-time passwords) with third parties
6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies
7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately
Why the Tourist Club?
Originally, The Club (which many people chose to call the “British Club”) was the only place where one could use the beach with changing rooms and a shower, and get refreshments.
In the early 1970s, the Government of Abu Dhabi wanted to give more people a place to get together on the beach, with some facilities for children. The place chosen was where the annual boat race was held, which Sheikh Zayed always attended and which brought crowds of locals and expatriates to the stretch of beach to the left of Le Méridien and the Marina.
It started with a round two-storey building, erected in about two weeks by Orient Contracting for Sheikh Zayed to use at one these races. Soon many facilities were planned and built, and members were invited to join.
Why it was called “Nadi Al Siyahi” is beyond me. But it is likely that one wanted to convey the idea that this was open to all comers. Because there was no danger of encountering alcohol on the premises, unlike at The Club, it was a place in particular for the many Arab expatriate civil servants to join. Initially the fees were very low and membership was offered free to many people, too.
Eventually there was a skating rink, bowling and many other amusements.
Frauke Heard-Bey is a historian and has lived in Abu Dhabi since 1968.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Kerb weight: 1580kg
Price: From Dh750k
On sale: via special order
MEDIEVIL%20(1998)
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David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Company profile
Name: Oulo.com
Founder: Kamal Nazha
Based: Dubai
Founded: 2020
Number of employees: 5
Sector: Technology
Funding: $450,000
Step by step
2070km to run
38 days
273,600 calories consumed
28kg of fruit
40kg of vegetables
45 pairs of running shoes
1 yoga matt
1 oxygen chamber
