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Rabat – Moroccans will turn their clocks forward by one hour (GMT+1) on Sunday, March 26, at 02:00 a.m.
The announcement was made Thursday by the Civil Service and Administration Modernization Ministry.
The decision is an implementation of decree N° 2-13-781, dated Sept. 28, 2013, modifying decree N° 2-12-126 from April 18, 2012 on changing time, said the ministry in a statement.
The decision to switch to Daylight Saving Time (DST) in the spring and switch back to standard time just before Ramadan, then return to DST after the holy month, has not been accepted by certain Moroccan citizens.
They view the decision as harmful to their wellbeing and see it as having a negative impact on health, with an increase in the risk of heart attacks and a proven disturbance in sleep patterns.
In 2015, they launched an online petition calling on the government to recant its decision to adopt Daylight Saving Time, citing these health reasons.
The government, however, is defending the decision, saying that it increases the competitiveness of the national economy by reducing the cost of energy bills and facilitating transactions with regional economic partners, mainly in Europe.
