Morocco will abandon its daylight-saving time system and return to standard GMT at the end of summer, Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch announced, ending years of debate and some public frustration over the policy.
Speaking to state television after a cabinet meeting on June 25, Akhannouch said the decision followed consultations within the ruling coalition and took into account repeated complaints from citizens about the impact of the current GMT+1 system.
“This choice is the result of a thorough assessment of the impacts of the current time system and fully takes into account concerns expressed in recent years,” he said.
Morocco has effectively operated on permanent daylight-saving time since 2018, when authorities decided to keep clocks one hour ahead year‑round, except during the holy month of Ramadan. The move was initially aimed at improving economic alignment with European trading partners and reducing energy consumption.
However, the policy has faced sustained criticism from parts of the public and civil society, with opponents arguing it disrupts daily life, particularly for schoolchildren who often begin their day before sunrise during winter months. Petitions and protests have periodically called for a return to the country’s original GMT time zone.
Akhannouch acknowledged that the current system had become a “source of major inconvenience” for many Moroccans, prompting the government to reverse course.
