Qibla direction in the United Arab Emirates
The Qibla in the United Arab Emirates lies towards the west. Depending on the city the angle from true north ranges from 256.9° in Ras al-Khaimah to 262.8° in Zayed City, and the Kaaba is between 1,356 km and 1,739 km away. The table gives the exact bearing for 31 cities.
Stand facing true north, then turn clockwise by the angle of your city. A phone compass shows magnetic north, which in the United Arab Emirates can differ from true north by a few degrees; our Qibla finder corrects this automatically when your phone reports true heading.
Why the Qibla changes across the country
Between the cities in the table the Qibla angle varies by 6.0°. Ruwais is the closest to the Kaaba (1,356 km) and Khor'fakkan the farthest (1,739 km). The farther apart two cities are, the more their bearings to Makkah diverge, which is why the angle of the capital, 260.2°, should not be used everywhere.
Inside a mosque, the mihrab already shows the Qibla. Elsewhere, a compass app, the position of the sun or our Qibla finder can be used; scholars agree that facing the general direction is enough when the exact angle cannot be known.
Qibla in the United Arab Emirates: questions
What is the Qibla direction in Abu Dhabi Island and Internal Islands City?
260.2° from true north, towards the west, 1,529 km from the Kaaba.
Which city in the United Arab Emirates is closest to Makkah?
Ruwais, 1,356 km from the Kaaba, among the 31 cities listed.
Does a phone compass show the right Qibla?
Only if it is calibrated and corrected for magnetic declination. Turn the phone in a figure 8 and keep it away from metal; our Qibla finder uses the true heading when the phone provides it.
| City | Qibla | Direction | Distance to Makkah |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi Island and Internal Islands City | 260.2° | west | 1,529 km |
| Ajman | 257.7° | west | 1,656 km |
| Al Ain | 262.5° | west | 1,661 km |
| Al Sajaah | 258.2° | west | 1,669 km |
| Al Shamkhah City | 260.8° | west | 1,559 km |
| Bani Yas City | 261.0° | west | 1,549 km |
| Bur Dubai | 258.1° | west | 1,635 km |
| Dhaid | 258.6° | west | 1,693 km |
| Dibba Al-Fujairah | 257.9° | west | 1,737 km |
| Dibba Al-Hisn | 257.9° | west | 1,739 km |
| Dubai City | 258.8° | west | 1,632 km |
| Fujairah | 259.7° | west | 1,735 km |
| Halwan | 257.9° | west | 1,649 km |
| Hatta | 260.6° | west | 1,708 km |
| Jebel Ali | 258.8° | west | 1,611 km |
| Kalbā | 259.9° | west | 1,735 km |
| Khalifah A City | 260.5° | west | 1,549 km |
| Khor'fakkan | 258.9° | west | 1,739 km |
| Lahbab | 259.2° | west | 1,659 km |
| Masdar City | 260.5° | west | 1,550 km |
| Mohammed Bin Zayed City | 260.8° | west | 1,543 km |
| Musaffah City | 260.7° | west | 1,536 km |
| Palm Jumeirah | 258.4° | west | 1,616 km |
| Ras al-Khaimah | 256.9° | west | 1,711 km |
| Reef Al Fujairah City | 259.5° | west | 1,726 km |
| Ruwais | 259.8° | west | 1,356 km |
| Sharjah city | 257.9° | west | 1,648 km |
| Ţarīf Kalbā | 259.8° | west | 1,733 km |
| Umm al-Quwain | 257.2° | west | 1,668 km |
| Warisan | 258.5° | west | 1,644 km |
| Zayed City | 262.8° | west | 1,446 km |