03:31Lebanon: 'Each region has its own time' - Locals react to dispute after country wakes up in two time zones
Lebanese locals were widely confused over the time zone dispute after the government decided to extend winter time for a month, as footage filmed in Sidon on Monday shows.
Some institutions rejected the decision and others welcomed it, with many Lebanese citizens finding themselves running between work and school schedules following different time zones.
’’I have a watch on my hand and a watch on my phone. One I use to set my work time and one to keep up with my area,’’ one of the locals said.
The debate took on a sectarian nature, as the country's largest Christian denomination, the Maronite Church, rejected the postponement, while many Muslims welcomed it, breaking their Ramadan fast an hour earlier.
"One boy wakes up at 5 o'clock and the other wakes up at 6 o'clock How does it work? Public schools have timings and private schools have different timings. How could we wake a child up at 5? Is that permissible?" another local added.
Two of Lebanon’s main news channels LBCI and MTV announced that they would not abide by the decision to postpone the adjustment of daylight savings time and would change time zones as planned.
"This watch follows the timing of Tripoli. This one is for the time of Jounieh and this one is for the time of Kaslik. Each region has its own time," one watch seller explained.
The country was scheduled to put clocks forward an hour on Sunday. The government made no official announcement for postponing the move although a video of PM Najib Mikati and parliament speaker which was leaked to local media outlets suggested it was due to the position of the holy month of Ramadan.
The administration later confirmed that clocks would all go forward on Wednesday evening.
03:31Lebanese locals were widely confused over the time zone dispute after the government decided to extend winter time for a month, as footage filmed in Sidon on Monday shows.
Some institutions rejected the decision and others welcomed it, with many Lebanese citizens finding themselves running between work and school schedules following different time zones.
’’I have a watch on my hand and a watch on my phone. One I use to set my work time and one to keep up with my area,’’ one of the locals said.
The debate took on a sectarian nature, as the country's largest Christian denomination, the Maronite Church, rejected the postponement, while many Muslims welcomed it, breaking their Ramadan fast an hour earlier.
"One boy wakes up at 5 o'clock and the other wakes up at 6 o'clock How does it work? Public schools have timings and private schools have different timings. How could we wake a child up at 5? Is that permissible?" another local added.
Two of Lebanon’s main news channels LBCI and MTV announced that they would not abide by the decision to postpone the adjustment of daylight savings time and would change time zones as planned.
"This watch follows the timing of Tripoli. This one is for the time of Jounieh and this one is for the time of Kaslik. Each region has its own time," one watch seller explained.
The country was scheduled to put clocks forward an hour on Sunday. The government made no official announcement for postponing the move although a video of PM Najib Mikati and parliament speaker which was leaked to local media outlets suggested it was due to the position of the holy month of Ramadan.
The administration later confirmed that clocks would all go forward on Wednesday evening.