World Timezones

CST to AST Converter

Compare AST to CST instead
Central Time11:35 pmThu, Jun 4
Central TimeCDT
North America · UTC-5
11:35 pmThu, Jun 4
12a
1a
2a
3a
4a
5a
6a
7a
8a
9a
10a
11a
12p
1p
2p
3p
4p
5p
6p
7p
8p
9p
10p
11p
Arabia Standard TimeAST
Middle East · UTC+3
7:35 amFri, Jun 5
8a
9a
10a
11a
12p
1p
2p
3p
4p
5p
6p
7p
8p
9p
10p
11p
12a
1a
2a
3a
4a
5a
6a
7a

Offset

The time difference between Central Time and Arabia Standard Time is 8 hours.

8 hours

Central Time (CDT) is behind Arabia Standard Time (AST).

CDT: UTC-5

AST: UTC+3

Central Time is currently observing daylight saving time; Arabia Standard Time is not.

When to schedule

Standard business hours (9 AM–5 PM, Mon–Fri) in Central Time and Arabia Standard Time don't overlap on the same weekday. Arabia Standard Time is 8 hours ahead of Central Time.

With some flexibility, there’s a workable window outside standard hours:

  • 7 AM–12 PM in Central Time (3 PM–8 PM in Arabia Standard Time) — suggest 9:00 AM Central Time (5:00 PM Arabia Standard Time).

This means an early start or late finish for one side, but it’s a reasonable slot for a one-off meeting.

This window may shift by an hour during daylight saving time.

Note: the working week in Saudi Arabia runs Sunday–Thursday; Friday–Saturday is the weekend, so overlap on those days is limited.

Public holidays in 2026

National public holidays can affect availability — a counterpart is likely off work on their own holidays, so it's worth planning meetings and deadlines around them.

United States

  • New Year's DayThu, Jan 1
  • Martin Luther King, Jr. DayMon, Jan 19
  • Presidents DayMon, Feb 16
  • Memorial DayMon, May 25
  • Juneteenth National Independence DayFri, Jun 19
  • Independence DayFri, Jul 3
  • Labour DayMon, Sep 7
  • Columbus DayMon, Oct 12
  • Veterans DayWed, Nov 11
  • Thanksgiving DayThu, Nov 26
  • Christmas DayFri, Dec 25

About these zones

Central Time is also known as CST, or CDT. To call United States, dial +1.

Arabia Standard Time is also known as AST. To call Saudi Arabia, dial +966.

Arabia Standard Time is approximately 7,000 miles northeast of Central Time.

Quick reference

Full 24-hour conversion table — tap any time to open it in the converter.

CSTASTDay
12:00 am8:00 amSame day
1:00 am9:00 amSame day
2:00 am10:00 amSame day
3:00 am11:00 amSame day
4:00 am12:00 pmSame day
5:00 am1:00 pmSame day
6:00 am2:00 pmSame day
7:00 am3:00 pmSame day
8:00 am4:00 pmSame day
9:00 am5:00 pmSame day
10:00 am6:00 pmSame day
11:00 am7:00 pmSame day
12:00 pm8:00 pmSame day
1:00 pm9:00 pmSame day
2:00 pm10:00 pmSame day
3:00 pm11:00 pmSame day
4:00 pm12:00 am+1 day
5:00 pm1:00 am+1 day
6:00 pm2:00 am+1 day
7:00 pm3:00 am+1 day
8:00 pm4:00 am+1 day
9:00 pm5:00 am+1 day
10:00 pm6:00 am+1 day
11:00 pm7:00 am+1 day

Daylight saving time

Central Time observes daylight saving time; Arabia Standard Time does not. The offset between the two zones changes when Central Time transitions: on Sunday, November 1, 2026, clocks fall back from CDT to CST.

See the daylight saving time page for transition dates across every time zone.

Daylight today

Central Time
Sunrise
5:18 AM
Sunset
8:22 PM
Day length
15h 4m
Arabia Standard Time
Sunrise
5:05 AM
Sunset
6:41 PM
Day length
13h 36m

Cities in these zones

Cities in Arabia Standard Time

Browse all cities to see the current local time anywhere.

Airports in these zones

Airports in Central Time

  • GYY
  • MDW
  • ORD
  • HOU
  • IAH
  • SAT
  • DAL
  • DFW
  • AUS
  • BNA

Airports in Arabia Standard Time

  • JED
  • RUH
  • MED
  • DMM

Related conversions

Common conversions

What is 9:00 am CST in AST?
9:00 am CST is 5:00 pm AST.
What is 12:00 pm CST in AST?
12:00 pm CST is 8:00 pm AST.
What is 12:30 pm CST in AST?
12:30 pm CST is 8:30 pm AST.
What is 2:00 pm CST in AST?
2:00 pm CST is 10:00 pm AST.
What is 5:00 pm CST in AST?
5:00 pm CST is 1:00 am AST, the next day.
What is 11:30 pm CST in AST?
11:30 pm CST is 7:30 am AST, the next day.