GST — Gulf Standard Time

Gulf Standard Time (GST) is four hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time and is used by the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and other countries around the Persian Gulf. Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the two largest cities in the UAE, are the most internationally prominent cities in this time zone. GST is also sometimes referred to as UAE Standard Time.

The Gulf region has become a major global hub for aviation, finance, and tourism, and its time zone position between Europe and Asia makes it strategically important for international business. Dubai International Airport and Abu Dhabi International Airport serve as key connecting points for flights between the Eastern and Western hemispheres. The four-hour offset from UTC places the Gulf roughly equidistant in time from London and Mumbai, facilitating trade across both directions.

Gulf Standard Time does not observe daylight saving time. The countries in this zone are located close enough to the equator that the variation in daylight hours between summer and winter is relatively small, reducing the perceived benefit of clock changes. The nearby time zones of Iran (UTC+3:30) and Afghanistan (UTC+4:30) use half-hour offsets, creating an unusual cluster of non-standard time zones in the region.