The direct Qibla answer for Riyadh
The Qibla direction from Riyadh is 243.8° clockwise from true north, pointing west-southwest. The great-circle distance to the Kaaba is approximately 790 km. Riyadh’s Qibla points west-southwest. The city’s mosques provide the best local reference; use the number when praying away from an established prayer area.
Use the live Qibla finder at your exact location when you want the line for a particular home, hotel or prayer space. This city page begins at the city centre, so the value may shift slightly across the wider urban area.
How to face 243.8° in three steps
- Find true north with a calibrated phone, physical compass or north-up map.
- Turn clockwise to 243.8°. In plain language, that points west-southwest.
- Choose a fixed feature on the same line—a doorway, tile joint, window edge or distant building—and reuse it as your prayer reference.
From a city bearing to your exact room
Stand where you intend to pray before checking. Move away from lifts, speakers, steel columns, large appliances and magnetic phone accessories. Hold the phone flat and take a second reading a few metres away. Once the result is stable, transfer it to a fixed wall or floor reference instead of leaving the phone in front of you.
The stated bearing uses true north. If a physical compass shows magnetic north only, compare it with a north-up map or apply an appropriate local correction before using the exact degree. The map method is often easier inside buildings because roads and roof edges do not move when the phone sensor does.
Common mistakes in Riyadh
- Using only a broad label such as “west-southwest” and ignoring the verified 243.8° bearing.
- Checking beside lifts, steel furniture, speakers, vehicles or a magnetic phone case, then treating the moving arrow as a calculation error.
- Comparing a true-north bearing directly with an uncorrected magnetic compass.
Why a map may make the route look different
The Qibla is calculated along the shortest great-circle route over Earth. A flat web map can distort that route, especially over long distances. Use the initial bearing at Riyadh—243.8°—rather than judging the direction by drawing a visually straight line across a world map.
How to verify the result
- Confirm that the selected location is Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- Compare two readings taken away from metal or electrical equipment.
- Check the numeric degree against a north-up map.
- Use a verified mosque or maintained prayer room as a practical local reference.
Qibla finder questions for Riyadh
What is the Qibla direction from Riyadh?
The initial great-circle bearing is 243.8° clockwise from true north, pointing west-southwest.
How far is Makkah from Riyadh?
The straight-line great-circle distance is approximately 790 km. This is not a road or flight distance.
Will the Qibla bearing change within Riyadh?
Only slightly across an ordinary urban area. For a precise room or building alignment, calculate from your exact coordinates.
Can I use Google Maps in Riyadh?
Yes. Keep the map north-up and compare 243.8° with a road, roof edge or wall visible in satellite view. Use the calculated bearing rather than a straight visual line to Makkah.
Do I need a Qibla finder app?
No. This online Qibla finder works in the browser. Save 243.8° if you want an offline reference for Riyadh.