The long national debate is finally over. Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch announced today that Morocco will permanently abandon the GMT+1 time offset at the end of next summer and readopt the kingdom’s legal time (GMT). The highly anticipated decision directly responds to citizen demands voiced in recent years.
In a statement to public broadcast television channels following the government council meeting on Thursday, June 25, 2026, Akhannouch explained that this measure comes after a series of consultations within the government majority and attentive listening to the population’s grievances. The head of government acknowledged that maintaining daylight saving time has been a major source of inconvenience for many Moroccans, pushing the government to decide in favor of a return to normal time.
“This choice results from an in-depth assessment of the impacts of the current summer time and fully takes into account the remarks made in the past,” Akhannouch emphasized.
This announcement brings an end to a long-running controversy. Since the adoption of the additional hour, many citizens and civil society actors have continuously called for a return to the original time zone, which they consider far more suited to daily life rhythms, the health of schoolchildren, and the social balance of the population.
