Syria Observes Daylight Saving Time 2008

Syria will officially observe daylight saving time at the first hour of April 4, 2008, when the clocks turn one hour ahead to 1am. The Cabinet-approved decision resulted from a suggestion from the Ministry of Electricity to begin daylight saving time on April 4, 2008.

Syria observed daylight saving in 2008 to save energy and utilize the natural sunlight.

©iStockphoto.com/Giovanni Rinaldi

During the daylight saving period, Syria is on Eastern European Summer Time (EEST), which is three hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). The nation planned to revert to standard time, also known as Eastern European Time (EET), two hours ahead of UTC, at midnight between September 30 and October 1 in 2008. However, the end date was pushed back, most likely because of Ramadan, and is now set for November 1, 2008. Around that time, the clock will be pushed back by one hour.

Daylight saving time was also officially observed in Syria in 2007. However, Syria extended daylight saving time from October to November that year due to the holy month of Ramadan and Eid.

A Bid to Save Energy

Like many other countries, Syria observes daylight saving time to conserve energy during the summer period. According to Power Engineering International, economic activity in Syria has been increasing and the demand for energy has nearly tripled in the last three decades despite periods of political instability and trade sanctions. Syria faces annual demand for electricity growing at around nine percent. It also must replace much of its oil fired power generation to preserve valuable oil reserves.

Fossil fuel is the mainstay of Syria’s power industry with oil and gas accounting for 86 percent of generation. The remaining 14 percent comes from the country’s hydropower resources mainly on the Euphrates River.

Dates of Daylight Saving Time 1983–2008

These are the dates Daylight Saving Time started and ended in Syria since 1983.