About the direction from Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi sits southwest of Dubai along the Gulf coast. Use this city-center bearing rather than the shoreline as your reference: the coast curves, while the Qibla is measured clockwise from true north.
How to face 260° in Abu Dhabi
- Find true north using a phone compass that reports true heading or a map aligned to north.
- Turn clockwise from north by 260°. For reference, due east is 90°, south 180°, west 270°.
- If you use a magnetic compass, adjust for local magnetic declination; NOAA's declination calculator gives the current value for Abu Dhabi.
The figure is the great-circle initial bearing, the standard approach described by Movable Type Scripts and the same idea behind Google's Qibla Finder. See how it works for the details.
Common questions
What is the Qibla direction in Abu Dhabi?
From the approximate city center of Abu Dhabi, the Qibla is 260.2° clockwise from true north, roughly west.
How far is Abu Dhabi from the Kaaba?
About 1,527 km along the great circle, the shortest path over the Earth's surface.
Does the bearing change across Abu Dhabi?
Yes. This figure uses the city center, not your exact position. The difference depends on your distance from the center and from Makkah; it can be noticeable in cities close to the Kaaba, especially Jeddah. Use the live finder for your own location.