A Moroccan draft decree to return to Greenwich Mean Time and cancel the extra hour

Draft Decree No. 2.26.530 stipulates the adoption of Greenwich Mean Time as the legal time for the Kingdom, and the cancellation of Decree No. 2.18.855 issued on October 26, 2018, which approved the fixation of Greenwich Mean Time plus one hour throughout the year, with the exception of the month of Ramadan.

The decision to adopt “GMT+1” time has sparked widespread controversy in Morocco since its adoption, amid criticism related to its impact on daily life, students, and sleep, as well as questions about its feasibility in rationalizing energy consumption.

Last April, the Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali, said before Parliament that adopting the extra hour in the winter does not achieve the same gains recorded in the summer, noting that there is no actual and tangible reduction in the demand for electrical energy during the year 2026, and stressing the need to update studies on the impact of timing on consumption.

The decision came after a popular and digital campaign demanding a return to normal time, as the number of signatories to an electronic petition in this regard exceeded 100,000, before the number circulating later exceeded 300,000 signatures.

The Kingdom is scheduled to officially return to Greenwich Mean Time three days before the legislative elections, in a move that ends eight years of working with additional time, while controversy remains about the outcome of the experiment and its economic, social and energy impact.