The Moroccan government has announced a return to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) starting September 20, ending the country’s year-round daylight saving time system after eight years.
The decision comes in response to public calls to abolish the additional one-hour time shift, according to an official government announcement on Thursday.
Morocco had adopted daylight saving time in 2008, initially applying it only between April and September each year.
In 2018, authorities decided to keep the GMT+1 system in place throughout the year, except during the holy month of Ramadan.
The move was originally introduced to help reduce electricity consumption and narrow the time difference with Western European countries, Morocco’s main economic partners.
However, the policy faced growing public criticism in recent years, with questions raised over its actual impact on energy savings and concerns about possible health effects, particularly on children.
Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch said the government decided to restore GMT in order to address issues raised by citizens regarding the additional hour.
He described the decision as part of the government’s response to public demands.
Government spokesperson Mustapha Baitas said during the weekly press briefing that the change will take effect at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 20.
The return to GMT marks a major shift in Morocco’s time policy after years of debate over the benefits and drawbacks of maintaining daylight saving time.
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