With Ramadan approaching, Morocco’s Ministry of Digital Transition has announced that the country will suspend daylight savings time and return to GMT on March 19 at 3a.m.
The ministry said today the decision is in accordance with the provisions of Article 2 of Decree No.2.18.855, adding 60 minutes to the standard time in the country year-round.
Under the measure, Morocco only goes back to GMT when Ramadan is around the corner.
Ramadan is expected to begin on March 23 this year. The official date will be confirmed by the Moroccan Ministry of Islamic Affairs following the crescent moon sighting.
It is yet to be confirmed when Morocco will sight the crescent moon for Ramadan. Typically, the country does the crescent sighting a day or a few days prior to Ramadan.
Morocco suspends daylight saving time exclusively for the holy month as it affects the fasting time.
But the country usually returns to daylight saving a week following Ramadan.
The North African country adopted the daylight saving measure in 2008 during the summer season to increase competition in the national economy by reducing energy consumption and time difference between Morocco and regional and international trading partners.
Morocco used to switch the clock every summer to DST, GMT+1, and returned to the old standard time, GMT, for a period when Ramadan fell in the summer.
In October 2018, however, the country decided to adopt the measure adding 60 minutes to standard time year round. The decision prompted backlash, with many citizens protesting the effectiveness of GT+.
