Prayer Time in Saudi Arabia

There is no single prayer time in Saudi Arabia that fits the whole country, because each city has its own times, so use the guide for the city you are in.

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How Prayer Times Work in Saudi Arabia

There are five daily prayers. Fajr is the first prayer, before sunrise. Dhuhr is the midday prayer. Asr is the afternoon prayer. Maghrib is the prayer at sunset. Isha is the night prayer, after dark. The times change a little each day, because the days get longer and shorter through the year.

Saudi Arabia uses one method for the whole country. It is called Umm al-Qura, and it is used by mosques and official announcements. Under this method, Fajr is set when the sun is 18.5 degrees below the horizon. Isha is set 90 minutes after Maghrib. In Ramadan, Isha is set 120 minutes after Maghrib, so people have time to break their fast and reach the mosque.

That fixed Isha time is the key detail. Most other methods set Isha by a sun angle. If your app uses a different method, its Isha time will not match Saudi mosques, even if the city is right.

If your app shows a different time from the mosque near you, check three things, in this order. First, check the city. Is your app set to the city you are actually in? Second, check the method. Is your app set to Umm al-Qura? Third, check Asr. In the standard way, Asr starts when the shadow of an object is as long as the object itself. In the Hanafi way, Asr starts when the shadow is twice as long as the object. That is why Hanafi Asr is later, by about 30 to 45 minutes. If all three checks are right and the time still looks different, trust your local mosque.

Why Times Are Different in Each City

Saudi Arabia is a wide country, from east to west. The whole country uses the same clock time, Arabia Standard Time, which is three hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. There is no daylight saving time. But the sun does not rise and set at the same local time everywhere.

In simple terms, the east sees the sun first. Cities in the east have earlier sunrise and sunset than cities in the west. A city in the middle of the country will sit between the east and the west. Cities in the north and the south also have their own times, because they are in different places on the map.

This is why a country timetable cannot work. The rule is simple: use the times for the city you are in, and switch cities when you travel. The times also change a little each day through the year, so always check the guide for today, not the times from last week.

Friday Prayer in Saudi Arabia

On Fridays, there is no normal Dhuhr prayer. Instead, there is Jummah, the Friday group prayer. First there is a short talk, called a khutbah. Then the prayer follows right after it. The whole Friday prayer usually takes about 30 to 45 minutes.

Friday prayer follows the Dhuhr time for that day, but the practical advice is different. Go early. Big mosques fill up fast on Fridays. Not every small mosque holds a Friday prayer, so check with the mosque first if you are new to an area. Each mosque announces its own khutbah time, so the city guide for your city is still the best place to start, and the mosque announcement is the final check.

Eid Prayer in Saudi Arabia

Eid prayer is in the morning, after sunrise. It is prayed in a group, and it brings the biggest crowds of the year to the large mosques and open prayer grounds. This guide does not print an Eid time for Saudi Arabia, because the exact time for each Eid is announced by local mosques close to the day, and Eid dates in Saudi Arabia are set by actual moon sighting, so calendar dates can shift.

Before Eid, check your local mosque’s announcement, arrive early, and expect large crowds. Do not trust an old article that prints a fixed Eid time for the whole country, because a fixed time would be wrong for many cities and years.

Questions About Prayer Time in Saudi Arabia

Is there one prayer timetable for all of Saudi Arabia?

No. Each city has its own sunrise and sunset, so each city has its own times. Use the city guide for the city you are in, and switch cities when you travel.

What method does Saudi Arabia use for prayer times?

Saudi Arabia uses Umm al-Qura. Fajr is set when the sun is 18.5 degrees below the horizon. Isha is set 90 minutes after Maghrib, and 120 minutes after Maghrib in Ramadan.

Why are prayer times different in each city?

Because Saudi Arabia is wide from east to west, and the whole country uses the same clock time. The sun rises and sets earlier in the east than in the west, and a city in the middle sits between the two. That is why each city needs its own times.

What time is Friday prayer in Saudi Arabia?

Friday prayer replaces Dhuhr, so it follows the Dhuhr time for that day in your city. There is a short talk first, then the prayer. The whole prayer usually takes 30 to 45 minutes. Go early, because big mosques fill up fast.

What time is Eid prayer in Saudi Arabia?

Eid prayer is in the morning, after sunrise, in a group. The exact time for each Eid is announced by local mosques close to the day, and Eid dates are set by moon sighting. This guide does not print a fixed Eid time, because it would be wrong for many cities and years.

What should I do if I miss a prayer?

Pray it as soon as you remember. A missed obligatory prayer stays obligatory, so make it up promptly, and ask your local mosque if you are unsure about the details.