Egypt to set clocks back one hour at midnight for winter time
Egypt is set to switch to winter time on Thursday, 31 October, turning its clocks back by one hour at midnight, shifting from GMT+3 to GMT+2, as has been the case since April.
A general view of Cairo's Nile island of Zamalek, Egypt. Photo courtesy of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism
Smartphones usually change their clocks automatically, but do not count on them doing that. Double-check that your phone is set to new timing to avoid being early for work or meetings.
This seasonal time change comes within Egypt’s effort to reduce energy consumption as winter approaches, a measure that aligns with similar policies in various parts of the world.
Egypt first implemented Daylight Saving Time (DST), or "summertime," in 1957, applying it intermittently over the following decades. The last use of DST was in 2014 due to electricity shortages at the time.
After years without the seasonal time adjustment, Egypt reintroduced DST in April 2023. The Egyptian cabinet cited a projected 10 percent reduction in electricity consumption as the reason for bringing it back.
DST lasts between the last Friday of April and the last Thursday of October.
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