What is CST in GST?
Gulf Standard Time is 9 hours ahead
Central Time is on UTC−5:00 and Gulf Standard Time is on UTC+4:00 right now. Central Time is on daylight saving, so its clocks read CDT. The gap changes during the year — see below.
- Time in Chicago
- 9:56 pm
- Time in Dubai
- 6:56 am
- Difference
- +9 h
- Next clock change
- November 1, 2026
Convert a time
GST — Gulf Standard Time
6:00 am
Wed, the next day
When the difference changes
Central Time and Gulf Standard Time do not change their clocks on the same dates, so the gap between them is not the same all year. Most converters show only today’s figure. These are the periods ahead:
- Now – November 1, 2026Gulf Standard Time is 9 hours ahead
- November 1, 2026 – March 14, 2027Gulf Standard Time is 10 hours ahead
- March 14, 2027 – onwardsGulf Standard Time is 9 hours ahead
Periods shorter than a day are not listed: both zones change at 2am in their own local time, so there are a few hours on each transition date when the gap is briefly something else.
Daylight saving
Central Time
Clocks go back one hour at 2am local time, becoming CST.
Gulf Standard Time
Gulf Standard Time stays on GST all year, so its offset from UTC never moves.
CST to GST conversion table
Every hour of Tuesday, September 22, 2026, converted from Central Time to Gulf Standard Time. 9 of the 24 hours fall on a different calendar day in Dubai, which is marked.
- 12:00 am CDT
- 9:00 am GST
- 1:00 am CDT
- 10:00 am GST
- 2:00 am CDT
- 11:00 am GST
- 3:00 am CDT
- 12:00 pm GST
- 4:00 am CDT
- 1:00 pm GST
- 5:00 am CDT
- 2:00 pm GST
- 6:00 am CDT
- 3:00 pm GST
- 7:00 am CDT
- 4:00 pm GST
- 8:00 am CDT
- 5:00 pm GST
- 9:00 am CDT
- 6:00 pm GST
- 10:00 am CDT
- 7:00 pm GST
- 11:00 am CDT
- 8:00 pm GST
- 12:00 pm CDT
- 9:00 pm GST
- 1:00 pm CDT
- 10:00 pm GST
- 2:00 pm CDT
- 11:00 pm GST
- 3:00 pm CDT
- 12:00 am GST+1 day
- 4:00 pm CDT
- 1:00 am GST+1 day
- 5:00 pm CDT
- 2:00 am GST+1 day
- 6:00 pm CDT
- 3:00 am GST+1 day
- 7:00 pm CDT
- 4:00 am GST+1 day
- 8:00 pm CDT
- 5:00 am GST+1 day
- 9:00 pm CDT
- 6:00 am GST+1 day
- 10:00 pm CDT
- 7:00 am GST+1 day
- 11:00 pm CDT
- 8:00 am GST+1 day
Scheduling between the two
There is no overlap between a nine-to-six working day in Chicago and one in Dubai — the gap is too wide. A call has to sit early or late for one side. Early morning in Chicago is the usual compromise, since that is late afternoon or evening in Dubai.
A note on CST: it can also mean China Standard Time (UTC+8) and Cuba Standard Time (UTC−5). This page means US Central Time.
Central Time (CDT) is used in Dallas, Houston, Mexico City and Winnipeg
Gulf Standard Time (GST) is used in the UAE and Oman