Doha Festival City (DHFC) has said it will celebrate World Water Day and Earth Hour with a number of environmental activities to promote a culture of conservation, under 'Festival Cares'. On March 27, DHFC will pay tribute to Earth Hour by decreasing its electricity consumption between 8.30pm and 9.30pm. The mall will dim both chandelier lights in its Luxury Area, and alternate switching lights on and off in the Centre Court, to cut consumption by 50%.
DHFC will also promote electricity conservation among visitors by spreading awareness and sustainability messages all around the mall on its digital screens, according to a press statement. Celebrating World Water Day on March 22, Festival City "reaffirms its commitment" to saving water resources, especially in the arid region of the Gulf. The mall follows a number of measures aimed at controlling and limiting water consumption.
Throughout all seasons, and during the summer in particular, DHFC adjusts its irrigation system using a timer that allows to control the amount of water used in landscape. Irrigation mechanisms in place are also sustainable and employ the already used waters – from the mall’s ventilation systems and cooling tower, as well as harvested storm water, to sprinkle the lawns and plants.
Doha Festival City also chooses to grow plants that are suitable for the Gulf region and do not require a high level of water consumption. Further, the mall is currently upgrading its system to enable the utilisation of TSE (treated sewage effluent) water for chilled water circulation, and will be able to fully rely on TSE water for its chillers in the second half of 2021, while undertaking further action to boost the sustainability of its operations.
Robert Hall, DHFC general manager, said: “We are committed to continuously improving our operations in protecting the environment in Qatar. Through contributing to major initiatives in this field, the mall also aims to educate its visitors on the importance of sustainability, enticing them to contribute to the national efforts.
“Doha Festival City has received the highest level of sustainability certification from the Gulf Organisation for Research & Development – we are a sustainable mall, and we try to do deploy every effort to reduce the environmental impact of our operations.”
Doha Festival City's opening hours are Saturday to Wednesday, from 10am to 10 pm, and Thursday to Friday from 10am to 11pm. In line with the Covid-19 preventive measures set out by the authorities, DHFC has introduced stringent health and safety measures throughout the mall for its staff and visitors.