Return to GMT after several years of heated debate
Morocco to return to GMT at end of summer
The Moroccan PM says the government’s decision responds to demands from many citizens after several years of debate on the time change.
Thursday 25/06/2026
Return to GMT after several years of heated debate
RABAT - Morocco will abandon GMT+1 at the end of the summer and revert to standard time (GMT) in an announcement was made Thursday by Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch who said that the decision follows several requests from citizens regarding the current time system.
The Prime Minister indicated that this issue had been discussed within the governing coalition, noting that maintaining the extra hour had caused difficulties for some members of the population, leading the government to opt for a return to GMT.
He also emphasized that this decision resulted from an evaluation of the effects of the current system, taking into account observations and criticisms made in recent years.
The Government Council approved draft decree No. 2.26.530 concerning legal time. The decree stipulates that the clocks will be set back 60 minutes at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 20, 2026, in order to reinstate the legal time based on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
The draft decree also repeals Decree No. 2.18.855 of October 26, 2018, which had established the maintenance of GMT+1 year-round by adding 60 minutes to the legal time.
The return to GMT comes after a long public debate on the time system in Morocco. For several years, citizens and civil society actors have been advocating for the abandonment of GMT+1, arguing that the legal time is better suited to the rhythm of daily life and the organization of family and social life.