Time in Dubai

Dubai, the largest city in the United Arab Emirates and one of the world's premier business and travel hubs, operates on Gulf Standard Time (GST), set at UTC+4. The UAE does not observe daylight saving time — GST is a fixed, permanent offset of UTC+4 throughout the entire year.

This no-DST policy is consistent across the entire Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, making Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and other UAE cities reliable reference points for scheduling — you never have to ask "is Dubai on DST right now?" The answer is always no.

Dubai sits at approximately 55.3°E longitude. The city's desert climate means sunrise and sunset times are relatively consistent compared to high-latitude cities, though there is still significant seasonal variation:

For a live world clock showing Dubai alongside other global cities, visit our World Clock page.

Dubai (GST, UTC+4) runs well ahead of all US time zones. Because Dubai never observes DST, the gap shifts only when the US changes its clocks each spring and fall.

During US Standard Time (approximately November to March):

During US Daylight Saving Time (approximately March to November):

Practical examples:

• 9:00 AM Monday in New York (EST) = 6:00 PM Monday in Dubai (evening, same day)
• 9:00 AM Monday in Los Angeles (PST) = 9:00 PM Monday in Dubai (late evening)
• Midnight in New York (EST) = 9:00 AM in Dubai (next morning, business hours!)

Key insight: Unlike Japan or Korea where the date flips during the US morning, Dubai time differences are smaller and the same calendar day typically applies for most of the US working day. Dubai evenings overlap with US mornings — a genuinely convenient window.

For live New York time to calculate the current GST offset, visit our New York time page.

The table below converts each hour of the New York day to Dubai local time. This is particularly useful for US–Dubai business calls, investment meetings, and travel logistics.

During US EDT (UTC−4, March–November), subtract 1 hour from Dubai column — gap narrows to 8 hours from NYC.

The most productive calling window: midnight to 8:00 AM New York time (EST) = Dubai business hours 9 AM to 5 PM. For West Coast callers, 9:00 PM to 5:00 AM PST = Dubai business day.

Dubai is home to two major stock exchanges and one of the world's most active futures and commodities markets, all operating on Gulf Standard Time (UTC+4).

Dubai Financial Market (DFM) — Trading Hours (GST):

NASDAQ Dubai — Trading Hours (GST):

Converted to US Eastern Time (EST, Nov–Mar):

Key market notes:

• The DFM General Index tracks major UAE-listed equities including Emirates NBD, Emaar Properties, and Dubai Islamic Bank
• NASDAQ Dubai lists international securities including sukuk (Islamic bonds) and international equities
• Dubai Mercantile Exchange (DME) trades Oman Crude Oil futures — a key benchmark for Asian crude pricing — with most activity during Gulf business hours
• Dubai is a Friday–Saturday weekend market (see below), so Sunday through Thursday are the trading days

Note that DFM trades Sunday through Thursday, not Monday through Friday like Western markets. This aligns with the Islamic calendar tradition. The DFM is closed Fridays and Saturdays.

Dubai's approach to the workweek changed significantly in 2022, creating a unique hybrid model that US businesses should understand.

The 2022 Workweek Change: Effective January 1, 2022, the UAE federal government switched from a Sunday–Thursday workweek to a Monday–Friday workweek (with Friday afternoons off, and Saturday–Sunday as the weekend). This change was made to better align with global financial markets and ease international business coordination.

Practical note: The DFM retained its Sunday–Thursday trading calendar even after the 2022 change, so the financial sector has a split reality — government employees are off Friday–Saturday, but the stock market still closes Friday–Saturday and is open Sunday.

Dubai International Airport (DXB) — World's Busiest International Airport: DXB handles more international passengers than any airport on earth (over 86 million pre-pandemic). Key operating details:

Flights from the US to Dubai:

Dubai Mall Hours: Dubai Mall, one of the world's largest shopping centers, operates: 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM (midnight) Sunday–Wednesday, and 10:00 AM – 1:00 AM Thursday–Saturday.

Best Times to Call Dubai from the US:

For London time — which falls between New York and Dubai at UTC+0/+1 — visit our time in London page.