Rabat – Morocco will return to daylight savings time (GMT+1) on Sunday, April 14, at 2 a.m.
The Moroccan Ministry of Digital Transition and Administration issued a new announcement today to remind citizens about the upcoming implementation of the measure that was suspended ahead of the month of Ramadan.
This means that Moroccans and residents of Morocco will need to adjust their clocks by adding one hour from GMT to GMT+1.
Some phones and PC devices change the time automatically, while others need to be adjusted manually.
Morocco suspends Daylight Saving Time (GMT+1) exclusively for Ramadan as it affects the fasting time. Once the holy month ends, the country switches back to GMT+1.
Morocco officially adopted Daylight Savings Time (DST) throughout the year after issuing Article 2 of Law 2.18.855 in October 2018.
Previously, DST was only observed during the summer months.
The primary objective of this practice, according to the government, is to conserve energy and reduce electricity consumption by taking advantage of the extended daylight hours in the summer.
The Moroccan government stressed its decision to permanently adopt DST with the need to strengthen the competitiveness of the national economy by reducing energy consumption as well as cutting the time difference between Morocco and its trading partners, notably in Europe.
Millions of Moroccans, however, argue that such measures affect their lifestyle, citing challenges faced by many– particularly children.
During winter time, the time change affects children who find themselves preparing for school time at hours close to dawn.
This prompted concerns among many, who continue to protest DST and call for its permanent suspension.
