A felucca on the Nile in Cairo by Alex Kotomanov / Unsplash

Time News 26 October 2026 2 min read

Friday 30 October 2026: Clocks go back one hour in Egypt

At midnight between Thursday and Friday, Egypt returns to winter time, UTC+2. Summer time comes back at the end of April 2027.

At a glance

When Midnight between Thursday 29 and Friday 30 October 2026
Change Clocks back 1 hour, from UTC+3 to UTC+2
Where All of Egypt
Next change Friday 30 April 2027
Capital Cairo
Egypt population 107 million
Language Arabic
Currency Egyptian Pound (E£)
Calling code +20
Office hours Sun–Thu 9–17

Summer time ends in Egypt this week. At midnight between Thursday 29 and Friday 30 October 2026, the clocks go back one hour: when Thursday reaches 24:00, the time becomes 23:00 again.^[1][2] That night is one hour longer. From Friday, Egypt is on winter time, two hours ahead of UTC.^[3]

When does Egypt change its clocks?

The pyramids of Giza in the desert — The pyramids of Giza, Egypt

Summer time in Egypt always starts on the last Friday of April and ends at the end of the last Thursday of October.^[1][2] This year it began on Friday 24 April 2026, when the clocks went forward one hour.^[1]

Until Thursday night, Egypt is three hours ahead of UTC. From Friday, it is two hours ahead.^[3]

Why does Egypt change its clocks?

The four giant statues of Ramesses II at the entrance of the Great Temple of Abu Simbel — The Great Temple of Ramesses II at Abu Simbel, Egypt.

Egypt brought summer time back in 2023 to save energy. When the government decided this in March 2023, its spokesman said the change would cut energy use by about 10% during the six months of summer time. Using less electricity also means importing less fuel for power stations.^[3] The rule is set by Law No. 24 of 2023.^[1][2]

A long history of changes

Egypt has stopped and restarted summer time several times. It cancelled it in 2011, used it again for one summer in 2014, and in 2016 cancelled a planned return three days before the change.^[4] Since 2023, it has changed its clocks every spring and autumn.^[4]

New time differences

Cairo has the same time as Athens and Helsinki again. Since Europe turned its clocks back on 25 October, Cairo had been one hour ahead.
Cairo is two hours ahead of London again, not three.
Cairo is one hour behind Riyadh and Amman, which keep UTC+3 all year. In summer, they have the same time.
Cairo is 7 hours ahead of New York, except from Friday 30 October to Sunday 1 November, when the gap is 6 hours, until the USA turns its clocks back too.