Africa · Western Africa · Sovereign state
Current time in Mauritania
A single time zone at null.
Sunday, May 31, 2026
About Mauritania's time
A single time zone.
Mauritania uses a single timezone, Africa/Nouakchott, which is set to GMT (UTC+0) — a rarity among West African countries, most of which use UTC+1. The country does not observe daylight saving time, keeping clocks consistent year-round.
Major cities
Cities of Mauritania.
History
How Mauritania keeps time.
Mauritania adopted Greenwich Mean Time (UTC+0) as its standard time upon gaining independence from France in 1960. Unlike many neighboring West African nations that opted for UTC+1 to align more closely with European trading partners or colonial administrative centers, Mauritania's choice of UTC+0 reflects the country’s geographic position further west and closer to the Prime Meridian. There have been no changes to its timezone since independence, and the nation has never observed daylight saving time.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Mauritania's time zone, daylight saving rules, and how to handle it in software. Can't find what you need? Email [email protected].
- What is the current time in Mauritania?
- Mauritania operates on Africa/Nouakchott, which is UTC+0 all year round. It does not observe daylight saving time.
- Is Mauritania in the same timezone as the UK?
- Yes, both Mauritania and the UK are at UTC+0 in winter, but the UK shifts forward to UTC+1 during British Summer Time (late March to late October), while Mauritania stays at UTC+0 year-round.
- Does Mauritania ever change its clocks?
- No. Mauritania does not observe daylight saving time. The clock remains at UTC+0 throughout the year.
- How does Mauritania's time compare to its neighbors?
- Mauritania is one of the few West African countries on UTC+0. Most neighbors (Senegal, Mali, Algeria) use UTC+1, except Morocco (which uses UTC+0 in winter but shifts to UTC+1 in summer except during Ramadan).
- What is the IANA timezone identifier for Mauritania?
- The IANA timezone is Africa/Nouakchott.
- Is GMT the same as UTC+0?
- In practice, yes. Mauritania officially uses GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), which is equivalent to UTC+0. Technically, GMT is a time zone and UTC is a time standard, but for civil timekeeping they are identical.
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