Time zone · Africa
EAST
El Aaiun Summer Time
El Aaiun Summer Time (EAST) keeps Western Sahara permanently ahead of its natural Greenwich Mean Time position — the region effectively stays in year‑round summer time. The result is long evenings and a lifestyle that can feel notably different from clock‑watchers abroad.
Friday, June 5, 2026
Current offset
UTC+01:00
Daylight · +01
Daylight saving
Active
Reverts 7 Feb 2027
IANA zones
1
1 observe DST, 0 don't
DST offset
—
No summer variant
About EAST
Standard time, with a summer shift.
El Aaiun Summer Time (EAST) keeps Western Sahara permanently ahead of its natural Greenwich Mean Time position — the region effectively stays in year‑round summer time. The result is long evenings and a lifestyle that can feel notably different from clock‑watchers abroad.
IANA zones · the technical identifiers
The zone that resolve to EAST.
For software, always store the IANA identifier — never the abbreviation alone. The database keeps these zones distinct because their rules can, and historically did, diverge.
Cities currently on EAST
The same hour, city by city.
1 city · all UTC+01:00
Where EAST is used
One country.
Same offset · UTC+01:00
Other zones at UTC+01:00 right now.
These named zones share EAST's offset today. When daylight saving rules differ, they drift apart for part of the year.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about EAST, daylight saving, and how to handle it in software. Can't find what you need? Email [email protected].
- Why is Western Sahara in summer time now?
- Instead of switching clocks every year, Western Sahara chose to stay on what used to be summer time. So effectively, EAST is used all year.
- Does EAST observe daylight saving?
- Yes, EAST is technically the daylight saving time regime for Western Sahara. Historically, the region has toggled between summer time and standard time, but recently it has remained on summer time for extended periods.
- What is the GMT offset for El Aaiun?
- The GMT offset for El Aaiun is currently UTC+01:00, and here on the website this is displayed as UTC+01.
- Are there any countries in the EAST region?
- The only territory in the EAST time region is Western Sahara.
- When was EAST last updated?
- The last clock change to summer time in the EAST time region occurred on 2026-03-22 at 03:00 local time.
- What's in a name for EAST?
- EAST stands for El Aaiun Summer Time, which is the time zone for El Aaiun in Western Sahara.
- I see '+01' for the timezone abbreviation, what's that about?
- The '+01' you see is the current offset–based abbreviation displayed by some systems (like GNU C Library or tzdata) for the Africa/El_Aaiun time zone.
- Are there any clock changes expected soon in this region?
- Depending on governmental or regional decisions, there may be future clock transitions for El Aaiun. The next expected change would be on 2027-02-07 at 02:00 local time, unless regulations change.
- How does year-round summer time affect daily life in Western Sahara?
- With sunset pushed later, evenings are filled with daylight—ideal for outdoor social events, night markets, and kids playing out later. However, mornings are darker and early meetings can feel out of sync with the sun.
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