Time zone
EAT
El Aaiun Time
El Aaiun Time (EAT) follows a unique clock-watching rhythm in Western Sahara, shifting annually between Greenwich Mean Time in winter and a summer forward move that lasts nearly 11 months of the year—making UTC+01:00 more of the 'default' than the exception. Living here means your clock changes feel like a brief return to zero before springing ahead again for most of the calendar.
Friday, June 5, 2026
Current offset
UTC+01:00
Daylight · +01
Daylight saving
Active
Reverts 7 Feb 2027
IANA zones
0
None observe daylight saving
DST offset
—
No summer variant
About EAT
A fixed, year-round offset.
El Aaiun Time (EAT) follows a unique clock-watching rhythm in Western Sahara, shifting annually between Greenwich Mean Time in winter and a summer forward move that lasts nearly 11 months of the year—making UTC+01:00 more of the 'default' than the exception. Living here means your clock changes feel like a brief return to zero before springing ahead again for most of the calendar.
Same offset · UTC+01:00
Other zones at UTC+01:00 right now.
These named zones share EAT's offset today. When daylight saving rules differ, they drift apart for part of the year.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about EAT, daylight saving, and how to handle it in software. Can't find what you need? Email [email protected].
- Which region uses El Aaiun Time?
- The Africa/El_Aaiun zone in Western Sahara is the only area that observes this time zone.
- When does the clock change happen in Western Sahara?
- Clocks spring forward in late March and only briefly return to standard time in early February, giving this zone one of the shortest standard-time periods of any region in the world.
- What's unusual about the daylight saving schedule?
- The zone spends roughly 11 months of the year on summer time, so most of daily life runs on UTC+01:00 despite the official 'standard' being aligned with Greenwich Mean Time.
- Will the offset always be UTC+01:00?
- No—between early February and late March each year on the local calendar the territory briefly reverts to UTC+00:00 before advancing again, so precise date-based scheduling must account for this short standard-time window.
- Why is it called +01 for summer time?
- The abbreviation reflects the active offset being used rather than the zone's official name; at nearly every point in the year, clocks display one hour ahead of Greenwich, hence +01.
- Is El Aaiun Time the same as East Africa Time?
- They share a code—EAT—but the behavior and geography are distinct; El Aaiun Time is defined solely within Western Sahara, while other EAT-labeled zones operate under different regional rules.
- Does this affect international coordination?
- Yes—teams scheduling calls or flights must remember the brief February return-to-zero window, or they risk being an hour off for that short stretch each year.
- How should remote workers adjust?
- When working with colleagues in Western Sahara, assume UTC+01:00 for most of the year and double-check calendar invites during the narrow early-February period when the territory briefly sits at UTC+00:00.
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