Africa · Eastern Africa · Sovereign state
Current time in Somalia
A single time zone at UTC+03:00.
Sunday, May 31, 2026
About Somalia's time
A single time zone.
Somalia uses a single timezone, East Africa Time (EAT), which is UTC+03:00, and does not observe daylight saving time. The entire country follows the same time year-round.
Major cities
Cities of Somalia.
History
How Somalia keeps time.
Somalia adopted East Africa Time (UTC+03:00) during the colonial period under Italian and British influence. Italian Somaliland and British Somaliland both used GMT+3, which was convenient for communication with Europe and neighboring colonies like Kenya and Uganda. After independence in 1960, the unified Somali Republic kept this offset to maintain administrative and economic coherence with the rest of East Africa. Somalia has never observed daylight saving time, keeping the offset consistent throughout the year.
Did you know?
Things about Somalia's time.
Somalia’s UTC+03:00 time aligns it closely with its neighbors Kenya, Ethiopia, and Djibouti, facilitating trade and coordination across borders. Despite straddling the equator, Somalia doesn’t observe daylight saving time due to minimal variation in day length year-round—a common trait among equatorial nations. This makes its timekeeping simple and predictable for residents and international partners alike.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Somalia's time zone, daylight saving rules, and how to handle it in software. Can't find what you need? Email [email protected].
- What timezone is Somalia in?
- Somalia is in East Africa Time (EAT), which is UTC+03:00.
- Does Somalia observe daylight saving time?
- No, Somalia does not observe daylight saving time. The country uses EAT (UTC+03:00) year-round.
- Is all of Somalia in the same timezone?
- Yes, the entire country—including Mogadishu, Hargeisa, and other cities—follows the same timezone: Africa/Mogadishu (UTC+03:00).
- Why does Somalia use UTC+03:00?
- It inherited this offset from colonial-era timekeeping under Italy and Britain, aligning with neighboring East African countries.
- How does Somalia’s time compare to nearby countries?
- Somalia shares the same time (UTC+03:00) as Kenya, Ethiopia, and Djibouti, making cross-border coordination straightforward.
- What is the timezone abbreviation for Somalia?
- The timezone abbreviation is EAT, which stands for East Africa Time.
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