Qibla direction in Najran

How to face the Qibla in Najran

Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards west and move a further 44.8° towards north: the result is the bearing of 314.8°. Because the angle sits far from the cardinal points, a rough guess such as “west” would be off by more than 40°, which is why a measured bearing matters in Najran.

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 Najran, aims at its direction as well as he reasonably can. Comparing with the mihrab of a local mosque 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 Najran to Mecca points to 314.1°, only 0.7° away from the true Qibla. Here the two methods practically agree, so a map gives a usable first idea, although the 314.8° bearing remains the exact one.

The value of 314.8° is the direction in which the shortest route from 17.4933° N, 44.1277° 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 Najran to Mecca and Medina

Mecca is 628 km from Najran as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 906 km away. The distance is short enough that many pilgrims from Najran travel to the Hijaz by road.

Clocks in Najran 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 Najran rather than those of Mecca.

Finding the Qibla with the sun in Najran

On 85 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Najran while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in July (31 days); for example, on 15 May 2027 it happens at 12:06 local time.

On 279 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 January (31 days), for instance on 1 January 2027 at 09:27.

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

Najran compared with other cities

Compared with Riyadh, 844 km away, the Qibla in Najran is turned 70.6° further clockwise (314.8° against 244.2°), and Mecca is 165 km closer. The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Şabyā (164 km), prays towards 328.7°, a difference of 13.9°.

Across the 27 cities in Saudi Arabia on this site, the Qibla ranges from 96.4° in Jeddah to 330.8° in Jizan, a spread of 234.5°. That is too large to use one national direction, so each city has its own bearing.

See all cities on the Qibla page for Saudi Arabia.

Qibla in cities near Najran

• Şabyā328.7° · 164 km
• Khamis Mushait319.3° · 173 km
• Jizan330.8° · 180 km
• Abhā322.3° · 190 km
• Bisha299.2° · 322 km
• Sabt Al Alaya313.0° · 325 km