As it has been a custom for the past nine years, Egypt has participated in the global Earth Hour on Saturday by turning off the lights in front of the Egyptian Museum from 8:30 to 9:30 pm. The event took place with the attendance of Minster of Environment Khaled Fahmy.
Egypt’s participation in this event sends the world a message that we stand alongside other countries, yet we seek the help of developed countries to face the issue of climate change, Fahmy said.
The cause was also supported at other archaeological sites in Egypt, including the Pyramids, Qaitbay Citadel, and Cairo Tower, as they turned off their lights for 60 minutes.
“I’m here to support reducing electricity usage,” said one of the participants, “hopefully this bears fruit.”
“I’m pleased with people’s participation in this event, especially the children’s, since they play a major role in saving the environment,” Fahmy added.
Earth Hour is a global movement that was established in 2007 by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). By turning off lights for one hour at the end of March every year, the participants show their commitment to the planet. Since its establishment, Earth Hour has grown to reach more than 7,000 cities and towns across 172 countries worldwide.
Photos taken by Asmaa Gamal