Egypt timezone change - Clarification

Abdelrahman Hassan redtea at gmx.net
Thu Sep 6 21:58:37 UTC 2007


># From Dirk Losch (2007-08-14):
># I received a mail from an airline which says that the daylight
># saving time in Egypt will end in the night of 2007-09-06 to 2007-09-07.
># From Jesper Norgaard Welen (2007-08-15): [The following agree:]
># http://www.nentjes.info/Bill/bill5.htm
># http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/city.html?n=53
># From Paul Eggert (2007-08-17):
># For lack of better info, assume the new rule is first Thursday.
>Rule    Egypt   2007    max     -       Sep     Thu>=1  23:00s  0

In response to the uncertainty observed on the mailing list and the latest
version of the time zonecode regarding Egypt's recent DST change, I would
like to confirm that the change is indeed for this year only. Furthermore,
it is as of now unknown when DST will end next year. Some MPs are even
suggesting to discontinue DST alltogether, so we will have to wait and see.

The reason for this year's change (and for the general confusion) is the holy
month of Ramadan (in which Muslims fast from dawn to dusk). Due to the Hijri
(lunar Islamic calendar) year being 11 days shorter than the year of the
Gregorian calendar, Ramadan shifts earlier each year. This year it will be
observed September 13 (September is quite hot in Egypt), and the idea is to
make fasting easier for workers by shifting business hours one hour out of
daytime heat. Consequently, unless discontinued, next DST may end Thursday
28 August 2008.



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