Qibla direction in Riyadh

How to face the Qibla in Riyadh

Stand where you will pray and find north first. Then turn towards west and move a further 25.8° towards south: the result is the bearing of 244.2°. A small error of a few degrees is forgiven by most scholars, but aiming simply at west would leave you about 26° off.

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 Riyadh, aims at its direction as well as he reasonably can. Comparing with the mihrab of one of the mosques of Riyadh 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 Riyadh to Mecca points to 242.8°, only 1.4° away from the true Qibla. Here the two methods practically agree, so a map gives a usable first idea, although the 244.2° bearing remains the exact one.

The value of 244.2° is the direction in which the shortest route from 24.6877° N, 46.7219° 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 Riyadh to Mecca and Medina

Mecca is 793 km from Riyadh as the crow flies, and Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, is 719 km away. The distance is short enough that many pilgrims from Riyadh travel to the Hijaz by road.

Clocks in Riyadh 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 Riyadh rather than those of Mecca.

Finding the Qibla with the sun in Riyadh

On 319 days of 2027, the sun passes exactly through the Qibla direction of Riyadh while it is well above the horizon. At that moment, facing the sun means facing Mecca. The effect is most frequent in March (31 days); for example, on 15 January 2027 it happens at 16:58 local time.

The sun is never opposite the Qibla of Riyadh during daylight, so the shadow method does not apply here; the left-hand column is the one to use.

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

Riyadh compared with other cities

The nearest city with its own Qibla page, Al Kharj (86 km), prays towards 249.9°, a difference of 5.8°.

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 Riyadh

• Al Kharj249.9° · 86 km
• Az Zulfī224.1° · 262 km
• Hofuf248.2° · 298 km
• Unaizah220.1° · 315 km
• Buraidah218.6° · 330 km
• Jubail240.0° · 389 km