HIBAPRESS – Rabat
Morocco's return to standard time, effective Sunday, September 20, 2026, has been a decision widely welcomed by a large segment of citizens, following years of debate surrounding daylight saving time.
The decision by Aziz Akhannouch's government puts an end to the practice of daylight saving time, which has been almost permanently adopted since 2018, with the exception of Ramadan, and permanently resets the clocks back 60 minutes to the Kingdom's standard time.
For many citizens, the issue of time was not merely a change in clock hands but was directly linked to their daily lifestyle, particularly concerning sleep, waking, study, and work. This made the return to standard time welcomed by broad segments of the population.
This comes as part of the National Rally of Independents party's engagement with citizens' demands and listening to their concerns, especially those related to their comfort and psychological and physical health.
Conversely, the return to standard time has reignited political debate on this issue, particularly with the criticism from the Justice and Development Party (PJD) of adopting daylight saving time during the current government's term, which presents a paradox in the PJD's stance on this matter.
The reality is that Abdelilah Benkirane's government was the one that adopted a system of adding an hour during specific months of the year, before the most significant shift occurred under Saad Eddine El Othmani's government. In October 2018, this government decided to permanently add 60 minutes to the Kingdom's standard time, except during Ramadan. This decision made daylight saving time the norm year-round instead of being limited to a specific period.
This brings to the forefront the issue of the contradiction between the current stance of the Justice and Development Party and the way they managed this issue during their tenure as head of government.
The decision by Aziz Akhannouch's government to return to standard time puts an end to years of societal and political debate over the time adopted in the Kingdom and places it in a broader context regarding the extent to which public policies respond to citizens' daily concerns and demands.
It also provides the "Rassemblement National des Indépendants" party an opportunity to highlight this decision as part of its track record of measures, which the party claims are based on listening to citizens and responding to their expectations, especially on issues that directly affect their daily lives, comfort, and living conditions.
