Africa · Northern Africa · Sovereign state
Current time in Western Sahara
A single time zone at UTC+01:00. Currently observing daylight saving time.
Sunday, May 31, 2026
About Western Sahara's time
A single time zone.
Western Sahara operates on a single time zone, UTC+01:00, and observes daylight saving time, shifting to UTC+02:00 during the summer months. The default zone is Africa/El_Aaiun.
Next clock change
2027 Sunday · clocks fall back
Clocks fall back by one hour · in 8 months.
Daylight saving schedule
Major cities
Cities of Western Sahara.
History
How Western Sahara keeps time.
Western Sahara's timekeeping history is closely tied to its colonial past. As a former Spanish colony, it initially followed Spain's time zone practices. Upon Spain's withdrawal in 1975, Morocco, which claims sovereignty over the territory, introduced its own time system, leading to the adoption of UTC+01:00 for standard time. This change was primarily a political decision to align with Morocco's timekeeping practices rather than a practical or economic necessity. Since then, Western Sahara has continued to observe daylight saving time according to Morocco's schedule, despite the ongoing territorial dispute and the presence of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic as a rival claimant.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Western Sahara'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 time zone in Western Sahara?
- Western Sahara uses a single time zone, UTC+01:00, with daylight saving time observed, shifting to UTC+02:00 in summer.
- Does Western Sahara observe daylight saving time?
- Yes, Western Sahara observes daylight saving time, following Morocco's schedule.
- Why does Western Sahara use UTC+01:00?
- This was adopted from Morocco's time system after Spain's withdrawal in 1975, reflecting Morocco's claim over the territory.
- Are there any unique time zone features in Western Sahara?
- There are no unique time zone features; the time zone is straightforward, but daylight saving time is observed.
Free · Developer API
Time, as JSON.
Every IANA time zone with live offsets, DST status, and the countries and cities that use them — clean, dependable JSON. Sign up free and get an API key in seconds.
countries, cities, convert, DST transitions coming next.
Get your free API key →