Morocco abandons controversial time change, will return to GMT in September

Morocco will return to Greenwich Mean Time at the end of September, the country’s prime minister announced on Thursday.

In 2018, the Kingdom adopted GMT+1 year-round, except during Ramadan. The change was aimed at better synchronising the country with key economic partners, including France and Spain.

Now the Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch says the country will permanently revert to GMT, the country’s legal time established by King Hassan II in 1967.

Announcing the change just days before legislative elections, Akhannouch said the decision was made in response to citizens’ demands.

The policy to switch to GMT+1 was controversial, with critics saying it affects school schedules and work-life balance, particularly during the winter when the sun comes up later.

A viral petition demanding the change received hundreds of thousands of signatures.