Kazakhstan shifts to single time zone across 1900 miles

Before this change, the country operated on two time zones: GMT+5 and GMT+6, with the latter being the standard for most areas except the western regions

Kazakhstan has established a single time zone from 1 March, according to reports.

Local media, citing the Kazakh Ministry of Trade and Integration, reported that the country applied the fifth time zone [GMT +05.00] uniformly across its entire territory from 12am on 1 March.

According to Azer News, the message from the ministry said: “Amendments have been made to the government decree on the procedure for calculating time on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan.”

According to the changes, a single time zone was applied throughout the country from Friday.

Before this change, the country operated on two time zones: GMT+5 and GMT+6, with the latter being the standard for most areas except the western regions.

In this significant adjustment, from the night of 29 February to 1 March, clocks were turned back one hour in all areas except for the Mangystau, Atyrau, West Kazakhstan, Aktobe, and Kyzylorda regions, which previously adhered to the GMT+6 time zone.

Starting the night of 29 February leading into 1 March, the cities of Astana, Almaty, and Shymkent, along with the Abai, Akmola, Almaty, Zhambyl, Zhetisu, Karagandy, Kostanai, Pavlodar, North Kazakhstan, Turkistan, Ulytau, and East Kazakhstan regions adjusted their local time by setting the clocks back one hour.

Experts in Kazakhstan pointed out that the GMT+6 time zone was misaligned with the natural solar cycle, adversely affecting the populace’s health.

The shift towards a unified time zone is expected to enhance transportation and communication coordination, thereby benefiting the business sector.

According to the Strait Times, in Kazakhstan, banks, mobile telecommunications companies, and various service providers issued warnings to consumers about potential service disruptions as the majority of the country was set to transition to a new time zone.

According to Times of Central Asia, some are expressing dissatisfaction over the decrease in daylight hours, fearing it will lead to higher electricity expenses. Meanwhile, others are concerned that brighter mornings might disrupt their sleep patterns.

The push for adopting a unified time zone across Kazakhstan originated from recommendations by a working group of Kazakh scientists and experts specialising in timekeeping issues.

The working group was formed in April last year following public demand for a more appropriate time zone and this group brought together professionals from scientific research institutes, medical universities, government agencies, and parliament, among other entities, the Astana Times reported.

Kazakhstan is a vast country located between Russia and China and extending approximately 3,000km [about 1,900 miles] from east to west.

To adapt to the time change, Kazinform news agency, to smooth the transition into the new time zone and ensure health and well-being, suggested several strategies: increasing sleep by an hour in the early days, maintaining a balanced diet with less fatty, spicy, and street foods but more vitamins, engaging in regular physical activity and outdoor walks to lower stress for all, especially beneficial for children and the elderly.

It also noted that it’s important to be patient and attentive to children’s needs, encourage the elderly for light evening walks while avoiding strenuous activities and monitoring blood pressure, and for those with chronic illnesses, to strictly follow their medication schedules.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transport, railway administrations, and the Kazakhstan Temir Zholy national railway company updated passenger train schedules, with details accessible on official websites and online platforms.

Airlines like Air Astana, SCAT, and Qazaq Air have also revised their ticketing systems and have informed passengers through official channels.

The Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation, and Aerospace Industry has provided guidelines for adjusting gadgets and devices to the new time zone.