Riyadh

Saudi Arabia • Arabia Standard Time

Time Zone

Riyadh uses Arabia Standard Time (AST), currently running at UTC+3 (year-round). Saudi Arabia does not observe daylight saving time. AST (UTC+3) is fixed every day of the year.

Business & Commerce

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's capital, operates on Arabia Standard Time (AST, UTC+3) year-round — Saudi Arabia has not observed daylight saving time since 1989, making this a fixed, predictable offset. At three hours ahead of London (GMT) and eight hours ahead of New York (EST) in winter, Riyadh's business hours overlap comfortably with European mornings. The Saudi Exchange (Tadawul) is the largest stock exchange in the Arab world and one of the twenty largest in the world by market capitalization. Saudi Arabia's dominant position in global oil production means OPEC decisions taken in Riyadh and the pricing of Saudi Aramco crude exports set benchmarks that move energy markets worldwide at any hour of the day. Saudi Arabia's work week has shifted to align more closely with global norms — the government sector moved to a Monday–Friday schedule in 2013 — making Riyadh more accessible to standard international scheduling.