Nakheel participates in Dubai's Earth Hour

Nakheel's support of the energy saving event extended across its wide portfolio of projects, with the developer switching off non-essential lights and encouraging all residents to join in.

Nakheel distributed guidance to residents of The Palm Jumeirah, The Gardens, Jumeirah Islands, International City and Discovery Gardens, informing them of the initiative, its goals and objectives and offering advice on how to take part.

Chris O'Donnell, CEO, Nakheel said:

'As the developer of some of Dubai's most recognizable developments, it was wholly appropriate for Nakheel to take part in Earth Hour 2008. Earth Hour is an excellent tool in creating awareness of the small steps both organizations and individuals can take to be more environmentally responsible'.

Third party developers on Nakheel projects were issued with guidance on how to safely minimize construction site lights and energy consumption, whilst Nakheel staff were also encouraged to take part, as part of a wider internal education initiative on sustainability.

Abdulrahman Kalantar, Managing Director, Design and Development, Nakheel said:

'Our participation in Earth Hour is a small element of our sustainability agenda. We are currently embarking upon an education programme with our employees, which includes advising them on the small steps we can all take to be more environmentally responsible. This includes simple actions such as turning off non-essential appliances and lights, turning off computers when not in the office and unplugging mobile phone chargers when not in use. If we all make small changes to our daily routines, together we can make a big difference'.

Turning off non-essential lamps on The Palm Jumeirah, The Gardens, Discovery Gardens, Jumeirah Islands and International City saved a total of 8,700 kWh of energy.