Free Qibla tool for the UAE
Qibla Finder: Find Your Qibla Direction Online
This qibla finder shows you the exact direction of the Kaaba in Makkah from wherever you are standing right now. Tap Find Qibla, allow location access, and the arrow turns towards the Masjid al Haram within a few seconds. Alongside the arrow you get the Qibla angle from true north, a compass direction such as west southwest, and your distance to Makkah.
You do not need to install an app, create an account or pay for anything. The tool works in Safari, Chrome, Edge and Samsung Internet on Android phones, iPhones, tablets and laptops. If you would rather not share your location, type your city or area and the qibla finder calculates the direction from there.
- No app needed
- Works offline
- True north corrected
- Free and private
The basics
What Is a Qibla Finder?
The Qibla is the direction Muslims face during Salah, and it points to the Kaaba inside the Masjid al Haram in Makkah. It was changed from Bayt al Maqdis in Jerusalem to the Kaaba in the second year after the Hijrah. Surah Al Baqarah, verse 144, records the command to turn towards the Sacred Mosque wherever you are.
A qibla finder is any tool that turns that sacred direction into something you can follow on the ground. Earlier generations used brass Qibla compasses with city index numbers, while travellers relied on the sun and the stars. An online qibla finder does the same job with your phone’s GPS and magnetometer, so the answer takes seconds instead of guesswork.
39.8262° E
Step by step
How to Use This Qibla Finder
Open this page on your phone and tap the Find Qibla button at the top. Allow location access when your browser asks, then hold the phone flat in your palm like a plate. Turn your body slowly until the arrow lines up with the Kaaba marker and the screen turns green.
If the arrow keeps moving after you stop, your compass needs calibrating. Move the phone through the air in a figure of eight three or four times, then try again away from metal. For a slower walkthrough, read our guide on how to find the Qibla direction.
Using It on iPhone
Safari on iPhone asks two separate questions, one for location and one for motion and orientation access. You need to tap Allow on both, otherwise the arrow stays frozen while the map still loads. This extra step is an Apple privacy rule, not a fault in the tool.
If you tapped Don’t Allow by mistake, open Settings, go to Privacy and Security, then Location Services, and set Safari Websites to While Using the App. Reload this page and the permission prompts appear again. Taking off a MagSafe wallet or magnetic case before you start also gives a cleaner reading.
Using It on Android
Chrome and Samsung Internet ask for location the first time you tap Find Qibla. Choose Allow, and if the prompt never appears, tap the icon beside the web address and switch on Location and Motion sensors. Most Android phones from recent years have a magnetometer, so even budget models handle the compass well.
Google Maps also has a calibration check, which shows compass accuracy when you tap the blue location dot. If Maps says accuracy is low, calibrate there first and then come back to this page. Magnetic clasps on phone cases and metal car mount plates are the most common reason an Android compass points the wrong way.
Choose your method
Compass, Map and Camera: Three Ways to Find the Qibla
Compass mode
Compass mode is the quickest option when you are standing on your prayer mat and ready to pray. The arrow follows your phone in real time, so you simply turn until it points to the Kaaba. Our Qibla compass page explains how the dial reads and why the needle sometimes wobbles.
Map and camera mode
Map mode draws a line from your position towards Makkah, explained in full on our Qibla direction map page. It ignores the magnetometer completely, which makes it the better choice inside buildings full of steel, glass and wiring. Camera based finders overlay the direction on your live view, and we compare how well they work in our Qibla finder with camera guide.
The science
How the Qibla Direction Is Calculated
The Qibla is not found by drawing a straight line on a flat map. Because the Earth is round, the shortest route between two points follows a great circle, the same path long haul flights take. Our qibla finder uses your latitude and longitude, the Kaaba’s coordinates of 21.4225° N and 39.8262° E, and spherical trigonometry to find the starting bearing of that route.
The result is an angle measured clockwise from true north, so 270° would be due west. From Dubai the answer is 258.2°, which is why the Qibla in the UAE sits a little south of west rather than straight west. Every reading on this page, including the city angles below, comes from that same formula.
The Qibla angle is the starting bearing of the shortest route over the Earth, measured clockwise from true north.
True North vs Magnetic North
True north points to the geographic North Pole, while your phone’s compass senses magnetic north. The gap between the two is called magnetic declination, and it differs from place to place and drifts slowly over the years. In the UAE the gap is small, roughly 2°, but ignoring it still nudges your arrow off target.
Our tool reads the declination for your location and corrects for it before drawing the arrow. That is one reason two Qibla compass apps on the same phone can disagree by a few degrees. When you compare tools, trust the one that corrects for declination.
Accuracy
How Accurate Is an Online Qibla Finder?
The maths behind the angle is exact, so the real limit is your phone’s sensor and its surroundings. A well calibrated phone held flat and away from metal usually lands within one or two degrees. We tested this qibla finder beside the mihrab of [mosque name] in [city] on [two phones], and it matched within [X] degrees.
To put that in perspective, a 1° error from Dubai shifts your line by about 28 km by the time it reaches Makkah. Many scholars hold that someone who cannot see the Kaaba only needs to face its general direction after a sincere effort. Precision still matters to most people, so take a few seconds to calibrate and cross check with map mode.
Troubleshooting
Why Your Qibla Finder Shows the Wrong Direction
Magnetic interference is behind most wrong readings. Steel desks, laptops, speakers, fridge doors, magnetic phone cases and car mounts can all pull the needle several degrees off. Step a metre away from them, calibrate, and the arrow usually settles.
The second cause is blocked permissions, where the map loads but the arrow never moves. Check that location and motion access are allowed for this site in your browser settings, then reload the page. Desktop computers and most laptops have no magnetometer, so use map mode or city search on those devices.
Quick fix
Step a metre away from metal, move the phone in a figure of eight, check that location and motion access are allowed for this site, then reload the page. On a laptop or desktop, use map mode or city search.
United Arab Emirates
Qibla Direction in UAE Cities
Across the UAE, the Qibla falls between roughly 257° and 263° from true north. Dubai sits at 258.2°, Sharjah at 257.9°, Ajman at 257.8°, Umm Al Quwain at 257.2° and Ras Al Khaimah at 256.9°. Abu Dhabi is 260.2°, Fujairah 259.6° and Al Ain 262.4°, the closest of the major cities to due west.
Distances to the Kaaba range from about 1,527 km in Abu Dhabi to 1,734 km in Fujairah. These figures are calculated from each city centre, so your exact street can differ by a fraction of a degree. You will find full details and maps on our UAE Qibla direction hub, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.
| City | Qibla angle | Direction | Distance to Kaaba |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai | 258.2° | WSW | 1,631 km |
| Abu Dhabi | 260.2° | W | 1,527 km |
| Sharjah | 257.9° | WSW | 1,649 km |
| Al Ain | 262.4° | W | 1,660 km |
| Ajman | 257.8° | WSW | 1,660 km |
| Ras Al Khaimah | 256.9° | WSW | 1,715 km |
| Fujairah | 259.6° | W | 1,734 km |
| Umm Al Quwain | 257.2° | WSW | 1,668 km |
Finding the Qibla in a Hotel Room
Many hotels in Dubai and Abu Dhabi place a small Qibla sticker on the ceiling, inside the wardrobe or in a bedside drawer. Check those spots first, since the marker was set for that room. Some hotels also keep prayer mats that reception can send up on request.
If there is no marker, use map mode rather than the compass. Hotel rooms are packed with TVs, minibars, safes and steel frames that confuse a phone’s magnetometer. Line up the map line with your window or a wall, and you have your direction.
Traditional methods
Finding the Qibla Without a Phone
Before phones, Muslims used the sun, the stars and the Qibla compass. Twice a year the sun passes directly over the Kaaba, around 27 or 28 May at 12:18 and 15 or 16 July at 12:27 Makkah time, which is 13:18 and 13:27 in the UAE. At that moment, anyone who can see the sun simply faces it to face the Qibla.
A traditional Qibla compass works with a city index number printed in a small booklet. You set the dial to your city’s number and turn until the needle matches, and our Qibla compass city index list gives those numbers for UAE cities. Mosques, airports and many mall prayer rooms in the UAE also mark the Qibla on the floor or wall.
When the sun is over the Kaaba
Around 27 or 28 May at 13:18 and 15 or 16 July at 13:27 UAE time, the sun stands directly above the Kaaba. Face the sun at that moment and you are facing the Qibla.
Comparison
Google Qibla Finder vs This Tool
Google launched its Qibla Finder web app during Ramadan in 2017, and it uses augmented reality to show a line through your camera view. It is simple and works well on phones with good sensors. It depends entirely on the camera and compass, though, so a poorly calibrated phone gives you a confident but wrong line.
- Launched during Ramadan in 2017
- Augmented reality line through your camera
- Relies on the camera and compass only
- Compass, map line and city search on one page
- UAE city angles and distances
- Explains how the angle is calculated
This qibla finder gives you a compass, a map line and city search on one page, so you can check one method against another. It also shows UAE city angles and explains the calculation, which helps when you want to understand the result rather than just follow it. Our Google Qibla Finder guide covers how Google’s tool works and what to do when it will not load.
Apps
Do You Need a Qibla Finder App?
Apps make sense if you want prayer time alerts, Quran audio and Adhan notifications in one place. For the Qibla alone, a web tool does the same job without taking storage or tracking your location in the background. Several popular apps also lock features behind weekly or yearly subscriptions.
A useful trick is to add this page to your home screen, which gives you one tap access like an app. On iPhone, tap Share and then Add to Home Screen, and on Android use the browser menu. If you still prefer an app, our Qibla finder app comparison covers the best free options for Android and iPhone.
Add this tool to your home screen
On iPhone, tap Share and then Add to Home Screen. On Android, open the browser menu and choose Add to Home screen. The Qibla finder then opens with one tap, just like an app.
Questions
Qibla Finder FAQs
Which direction is the Qibla from Dubai?
It is 258° from true north, which is west southwest. The Kaaba is about 1,630 km away in a straight line. Use the tool above for your exact location, since the angle shifts slightly across the city.
Is the online qibla finder accurate?
Yes, the calculation is exact, and a calibrated phone held flat usually lands within one or two degrees. Most errors come from nearby metal or magnetic cases, not from the tool itself. Cross checking compass mode with map mode removes any doubt.
Can I find the Qibla without allowing location?
Yes, type your city or area into the search box and the tool calculates the angle from there. You lose live GPS tracking, but the direction is just as accurate for a fixed spot. This also works on laptops and desktops that have no location sensor.
Is Google Qibla Finder accurate?
It is accurate when your phone’s compass is calibrated and you stand away from metal. A poorly calibrated phone can throw its camera line off by several degrees. Comparing it with the map mode on this page is the quickest way to confirm.
What if I prayed in the wrong direction by mistake?
Many scholars hold that the prayer is valid if you made a sincere effort to find the Qibla and only learned of the mistake afterwards. If you realise it during the prayer, you turn towards the correct direction and continue. For your own situation, ask the imam at your local mosque.
Ready to pray?
Open the Qibla finder, hold your phone flat and turn until the screen turns green.