(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Hundreds of people gathered at The Wave, Muscat marina to The Environmental Society of Oman (ESO), which spearheaded the initiative, kicked off Saturday's event with great aplomb, lining up a string of activities at the marina at 8pm.
From a sand art show, which saw mother-daughter duo Olga and Anastasia create a picturesque Oman with their nimble fingers, to star-gazing and painting sessions, the crowds were kept entertained until the Earth Hour.
Finally, barely 15 seconds prior to the most anticipated moment of the evening, a volunteer screamed out ''Are you ready to go dark?'' which immediately drew a roaring ''Yes'' from the swarm of people. When the lights went off, the upbeat crowd lit their candles, and brought in the Earth Hour, along with the rest of the world. During the ‘hour of darkness' a host of artistes regaled the crowds with their performances.
The event also saw the ESO mark the success of its ''I will if you will'' campaign, as it beat its target of 2,500 pledges, with 2,648 people registering their support to the cause on the Oman Earth Hour website (www.omanearthhour.org) by late Saturday evening. Omani women's sailing crew Raiya al Habsi, Ibitisam al Salmi and Raja'a al Owaisi, national football team goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi, circuit racer Ahmad al Harthy and inspirational speaker Sheikh Khalfan al Esry will now undertake a free environmental activity as promised.
Dana Sarhan, ESO board member and public relations officer, said, ''The main purpose of Earth Hour was to raise awareness about the importance of reducing the use of electricity…the movement has given the people in Oman the unique opportunity to join a global event and campaign in solidarity for the preservation of our planet. It's about showing that we all care about the environment.'
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