Qibla direction in Jeddah

How to face the Qibla in Jeddah

Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards east and move a further 6.4° towards south: the result is the bearing of 96.4°. The direction is close to due east, which makes it easy to remember.

The scholars distinguish two cases: the one who sees the Kaaba aims at the building itself, while the one who cannot see it, as anywhere in Jeddah, aims at its direction as well as he reasonably can. Comparing with the mihrab of one of the mosques of Jeddah is a quick way to confirm the result. If you travel or move house, check the angle again, since it changes from place to place.

Why a flat map shows a different direction

On a flat (Mercator) map, the straight line from Jeddah to Mecca points to 96.5°, only 0.1° away from the true Qibla. Here the two methods practically agree, so a map gives a usable first idea, although the 96.4° bearing remains the exact one.

The value of 96.4° is the direction in which the shortest route from 21.4901° N, 39.1862° E sets off towards the Kaaba at 21.4225° N, 39.8262° E. Every accurate Qibla calculator, and the plans of well-oriented mosques, arrive at the same angle for this point.

Distance from Jeddah to Mecca and Medina

Mecca is 67 km from Jeddah as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 334 km away. The distance is short enough that many pilgrims from Jeddah travel to the Hijaz by road.

Clocks in Jeddah run the same time as Mecca all year. Prayer times, however, depend on the sun at your own location, so always use the prayer times of Jeddah rather than those of Mecca.

Finding the Qibla with the sun in Jeddah

On 160 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Jeddah while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in August (31 days); for example, on 15 March 2027 it happens at 07:18 local time.

On 112 days the sun stands exactly opposite the Qibla: then the shadow of any vertical object, a pole, a door frame or a plumb line, points straight towards Mecca. This is most frequent in May (31 days), for instance on 15 April 2027 at 17:51.

Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, on 28 May 2027 and 16 July 2027. Both moments are in daylight in Jeddah: at 12:18 and 12:27 local time, face the sun and you face the Qibla exactly, anywhere in the city.

Jeddah compared with other cities

Compared with Riyadh, 849 km away, the Qibla in Jeddah is turned 147.8° further anticlockwise (96.4° against 244.2°), and Mecca is 727 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Mecca (67 km), prays towards 172.6°, a difference of 76.3°.

Among the 27 cities in Saudi Arabia on this site, Jeddah has the smallest Qibla bearing; the largest is 330.8° in Jizan. Across the country the direction varies by 234.5°.

See all cities on the Qibla page for Saudi Arabia.

Qibla in cities near Jeddah

• Mecca172.6° · 67 km
• Ta'if285.6° · 130 km
• Yanbu148.3° · 311 km
• Al-Madinah al-Munawwarah176.3° · 334 km
• Sabt Al Alaya313.0° · 359 km
• Bisha299.2° · 392 km