If you’re planning to travel to Dubai or have friends and family living there, one question that may come up is, “How many hours are we behind Dubai?” The answer to this question can be a bit tricky as it depends on your location and the time of year. In this article, we’ll explore the time difference between Dubai and other cities around the world.
Understanding Time Zones
Before we dive into the specifics of Dubai’s time difference, let’s first understand how time zones work. The Earth is divided into 24 time zones, each representing a different hour of the day. These time zones are based on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), which is the mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London.
Each time zone is roughly 15 degrees of longitude wide and spans from pole to pole. As you move east or west from GMT, you’ll cross over different time zones. For example, if you travel from London to New York City, you’ll cross over five different time zones.
Dubai Standard Time
Dubai follows Gulf Standard Time (GST), which is four hours ahead of GMT. This means that if it’s 12:00 pm in London (GMT), it will be 4:00 pm in Dubai (GST). However, during daylight saving time (DST), which is observed in some countries during the summer months, Dubai changes its clocks by one hour to be five hours ahead of GMT.
Time Difference Between Dubai and Other Cities
Now that we understand how Dubai’s standard time works let’s compare it to other cities around the world:
- New York: During EST (Eastern Standard Time), New York is nine hours behind Dubai. During daylight saving time (EDT), it is eight hours behind.
- London: London is four hours behind Dubai during GMT.
During British Summer Time (BST), it is three hours behind.
- Sydney: Sydney is six hours ahead of Dubai during Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST). During daylight saving time (AEDT), it is seven hours ahead.
- Tokyo: Tokyo is five hours ahead of Dubai during Japan Standard Time (JST).
In Conclusion
Knowing the time difference between Dubai and other cities can be helpful when planning travel or communicating with friends and family. Remember that Dubai follows Gulf Standard Time, which is four hours ahead of GMT, and changes to five hours ahead during daylight saving time. When comparing the time difference between Dubai and other cities, be aware of the different time zones and daylight saving times in effect.