How to Convert the Time From GMT to AST

Converting the time from GMT to AST differs depending on the time of year.

Learning the time difference between Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and Arabian Standard Time (AST) is useful when traveling abroad to the Middle East or when doing business with someone in these time zones. Iceland, the United Kingdom, Ireland and some African countries observe GMT, although the U.K. and Ireland only use GMT from October through March. AST is observed year-round by Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

Things You'll Need

• Clock or watch

Instructions

1. Add three hours when converting time from GMT to AST in winter, and add two hours in the summer. If it is 3 p.m. in London, it is 6 p.m. in Saudi Arabia during the winter and 5 p.m. during the summer.

2. Subtract three hours when converting time from AST to GMT in the winter, and subtract two hours in the summer. If it is 3 p.m. in Saudi Arabia, it is noon in London during the winter and 1 p.m. in the summer.

3. When traveling from the GMT zone to a country in the AST zone, change the time on your watch accordingly; cell phone and computer clocks typically adjust automatically when you move into a new time zone.

References

• Time and Date: Current Local Time in Saudi Arabia
• Greenwich Mean Time
• Working and Living in the Arabian Gulf: What Time is it There?
• Time and Date: Arabia Standard Time