Rabat – The Ministry of Administration and Civil Service Reform announced Saturday that Morocco will switch to daylight saving time on Sunday, March 25 at 2:00 a.m.
The measure is expected to increase the competitiveness of the national economy through a reduction in energy consumption. It will also reduce the time difference between Morocco and its regional and international trading partners.
In late February, several member countries urged the EU to consider abolishing daylight saving. The energy-saving practice is under review by the European Parliament, which backed a possible plan to end daylight saving time across the 28 member states after 384 deputies out of 549 voted in favor of the resolution. The growing international debate over the seasonal practice has created a debate within Morocco as to whether the North African country will follow its European business partners in this decision.
Daylight saving time was first adopted during the First World War in the UK to give factories more daylight hours to operate in, thereby aiding the war.
The issue has divided MEPs within the European assembly. An October 2017 EU Parliament study stated that, “while daylight-saving time benefits the transport industry, helps outdoor leisure activities and reduces energy consumption, it is associated with disruptions to the human biorhythm.”
