Morocco will switch back to its legal time, GMT, on Sunday, September 20, 2026, marking the temporary end of the country’s use of GMT+1.
The change will take effect at 2 a.m., when clocks will be moved back by one hour. The decision follows a government decree adopted during a weekly Government Council meeting.
The move comes amid renewed public demands for a return to Morocco’s legal time. Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch previously said that the government had held several meetings with members of the governing majority to examine citizens’ concerns over the country’s time system.
The debate has increasingly focused on the daily impact of the additional hour, with citizens raising concerns about its effects on their routines and well-being. The government has presented the decision as a response to these expectations.
For Moroccans, the September adjustment will mean darker mornings and earlier sunsets compared with the GMT+1 schedule. Businesses, schools, public administrations and transport services will also have to take the new official time into account.
Akhannouch had stressed that the government was listening to citizens’ expectations regarding the return to legal time. The September 20 change therefore represents more than a routine clock adjustment: it reflects a broader public debate over how Morocco should organize its official time and its impact on everyday life.
