As Emiratis participate in Dubai’s eighth annual “Car Free Day”, social media has been flooded with striking images.
From traffic-free highways to famous faces on public transport, the initiative launched in 2010 to reduce pollution has proved highly photogenic for Twitterers in the UAE.
في مثل هذا التوقيت شارع #الشيخ_زايد يكون مزدحم عادة..اليوم #دبي_تنتصر_للبيئة في #يوم_بلا_مركبات #UAE #DubaiCarFreeDay @akhbar pic.twitter.com/KDznQNIAYA
— Olfa Jami (@OlfaJamy) February 5, 2017
Usually at this time #Sheikh_Zayed street is congested… today #DubaiSavingTheEnvironment on #CarFreeDay
Hundreds of thousands of public and private sector workers have been targeted by the Dubai Municipality’s campaign, which this year will give a charitable donation for each employee who ditches his/her vehicle, as part of the “Year of Giving.”
Many have shared pictures of themselves making an alternative daily commute:
And I did it to work by walking in #يوم_بلا_مركبات #dubai #اخبار_الآن #dubaicarfreeday pic.twitter.com/AlNE9nNc41
— Hidoussi (@asma_hidoussi) February 5, 2017
Done
— ahmad afaneh (@ahmad3faneh) February 5, 2017
#يوم_بلا_مركبات #دبي #ميديا_سيتي @akhbar
@DMunicipality
#اخبار_الان
#dmccarfreeday pic.twitter.com/mRGniBVXVj
go green to the office
— Mohammed Mansour (@MTranslator2020) February 5, 2017
#Dubai_tram#DMCCarFreeDay#DubaiMediaCity#يوم_بلا_مركبات@alaantv #progrming_team #motivation_day pic.twitter.com/natyxgJ1pF
#يوم_بلا_مركبات إلى #تلفزيون_الآن بمترو #دبي @DubaiMunicipali pic.twitter.com/j7XbuKLZgk
— Hanan Daher (@Hanan92) February 5, 2017
Even the Emir of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, took the metro today:
هنا الفرق ...... شوف الشيخ محمد واقف بين ركاب الميترو لا خصوصية ولا مصورين !!!! #يوم_بلا_مركبات pic.twitter.com/8NxD5K3Trb
— Ahmad almansoori (@AAmansoory) February 5, 2017
This is the difference… See Sheikh Mohammed standing with the Metro passengers without any special treatment or cameramen.
#يوم_بلا_مركبات #CarFreeDay pic.twitter.com/qOQONHsnsP
— Mustafa agha (@mustafa_agha) February 5, 2017
Eagle-eyed observers will note that this is not the first time the Emirati Prime Minister has been spotted on public transport. Last summer, he rode the London Underground with the Crown Prince of Dubai.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on the London tube with the Crown Prince of Dubai pic.twitter.com/t5S6JdLQjw
— Rana Mubashir (@ranamubashir01) July 18, 2016
Sheikh Mohammed was not alone in taking the metro today, as many other public figures followed suit, including these officials from Dubai's municipal authority:
مشاركة هيئة الطرق والمواصلات في مبادرة #يوم_بلا_مركبات المنظمة من قبل #بلدية_دبي pic.twitter.com/ptCBF0TN8t
— الإمارات الآن (@EmiratesNow_) February 5, 2017
Participation of the Roads and Transport Authority in the #CarFreeDay initiative organized by the #DubaiMunicipality
رؤساء أقسام بلدية دبي في إحدى محطات مترو دبي هذا الصباح للمشاركة في مبادرة #يوم_بلا_مركبات pic.twitter.com/wOmWD5QscQ
— بلدية دبي (@DMunicipality) February 5, 2017
The heads of the departments of Dubai's Municipality in one of Dubai's metro trains this morning, participating in the #CarFreeDay
Meanwhile, the Municipality's Director General, Hussain Nasser Lootah visited an special exhibition set up for the occasion:
مدير عام #بلدية_دبي في جولة ميدانية مع المسؤولين المشاركين في المعرض المرافق لمبادرة #يوم_بلا_مركبات#الرؤية pic.twitter.com/zhhejWD4eg
— حسن الزهراني (@hassan_alzahrai) February 5, 2017
Director General of the Dubai Municipality on a visit with officials involved in the exhibition accompanying the #CarFreeDay initiative
Across its seven years, the initiative has prevented 263 tonnes of carbon dioxide being emitted into the atmosphere. In 2016, 43,000 vehicles belonging to individuals from 1,070 organisations remained at home on #CarFreeDay. From social media participation alone, it seems that this year will be no different.
RA
