AST to EST Time Converter
Convert Arabia Standard Time to Eastern Time (US). Right now, AST is 7 hours ahead of EST.
Time Zone Converter
Click any hour to see what it lands on in every city. The first row's hours run 12am to 11pm — every other row is its local time at the same instant.
When it's this time in Riyadh:
| Riyadh | New York |
|---|---|
| 6:00 AM | 11:00 PM |
| 9:00 AM | 2:00 AM |
| 12:00 PM | 5:00 AM |
| 3:00 PM | 8:00 AM |
| 6:00 PM | 11:00 AM |
| 9:00 PM | 2:00 PM |
About AST and EST
AST (Arabia Standard Time) covers Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Iraq and is anchored to the IANA zone Asia/Riyadh. It does not observe daylight saving time — the offset stays fixed all year.
EST (Eastern Time (US)) covers USA and Canada via America/New_York. It observes daylight saving time, so the gap between these two zones shifts twice a year.
Because at least one of these zones uses DST, the time difference between AST and EST is not constant — it shifts by an hour during the spring and autumn DST transitions. The hour grid below recomputes the difference for any specific date you click, using the IANA rules baked into your browser.
FAQ
- How many hours difference between AST and EST?
- Right now, AST is 7 hours ahead of EST. Because at least one of these zones observes daylight saving time, the gap shifts by an hour twice a year (spring and autumn). The hour grid above recomputes correctly for any specific date.
- What time is 9 AM AST in EST?
- 9 AM AST (Riyadh) is 2:00 AM EST (New York) today. Click any cell in the grid above to convert other times — the math handles DST and half-hour offsets correctly.
- Does AST observe daylight saving time?
- No. Arabia Standard Time stays at a fixed offset year-round. The hour grid above will show the same difference whether you check in summer or winter.
- What's the IANA timezone identifier for AST and EST?
- AST → Asia/Riyadh. EST → America/New_York. We use IANA identifiers (not GMT offsets) as the source of truth so historical and future dates remain accurate, including across DST changes and political timezone shifts.
- Where can I see the overlap between AST and EST working hours?
- Click "Working hrs" in the toolbar above to highlight hours where all selected cities have overlapping business hours. The amber highlight shows which columns work for scheduling meetings across time zones.
- Which countries use AST and EST?
- AST (Arabia Standard Time) is used in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Iraq. EST (Eastern Time (US)) is used in USA and Canada. If you're converting time between any of these countries, this is the right page.