Do you need to know accurate prayer times in Abu Dhabi? Whether you’re a resident or just visiting, it’s important to know when to pray so that you can stay on top of your religious obligations.
We provide a daily schedule of prayer (salah) timings in Abu Dhabi, updated every day. Keep this page bookmarked for easy reference.
We also offer salah times for other locations in the United Arab Emirates; Dubai, Ajman, and Sharjah.
Prayer Times Today in Abu Dhabi
Prayer times for Thursday March 23, 2023 are:
- Fajr - 5:06 am
- Sunrise - 6:20 am
- Dhuhr - 12:32 pm
- Asr - 3:57 pm
- Maghrib - 6:39 pm
- Isha - 7:53 pm
Prayer times were last updated on .
Five Pillars of Islam
The Five Pillars of Islam are the foundation of Muslim life. They are the obligatory duties that all Muslims must perform to live a pious life in accordance with the teachings of Islam. These duties are faith, prayer, fasting, charity, and pilgrimage.
- Faith (shahada) – The first pillar is the declaration of faith, which is the belief in one God and that Muhammad is his prophet.
- Prayer (salah, salat, or namaz) – Muslims are required to pray five times a day; at dawn, midday, afternoon, sunset, and nightfall.
- Fasting (sawm) – Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset each day during the month of Ramadan. This is a time of prayer and reflection. It is a time to atone for sins committed during the previous year.
- Charity (zakat) – Muslims are required to give charity, or zakat, to those in need. This is a way of purifying one’s wealth and helping those who are less fortunate.
- Pilgrimage (hajj) – Muslims are required to make the pilgrimage to Mecca once in their lifetime if they can do so. The hajj is a time of spiritual growth and renewal.
Islamic Prayers
Islam is the official religion of Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates. The daily prayers are obligatory for all Muslims and are one of the Five Pillars of the Islamic faith.
The prayers are carried out at five set times of the day:
- Fajr – dawn, before sunrise
- Dhurh (Duhr, Duhur, or Zuhr) – midday
- Asr – late afternoon
- Maghrib – after sunset
- Isha – evening
Salah times change throughout the year depending on the time of sunrise and sunset.
Muslims should be clean when they pray. Before praying they perform ritual washing (wudu or wudhu). During prayers, they should face Mecca, the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad.
Azan
Muslims are reminded of the prayer time by the daily calls to prayer (azan or adhan).
Traditionally, these are recited from the minaret of a mosque by a designated person (the muezzin). In modern times, azan is generally made from a loudspeaker mounted on the minaret.
The call to worship that begins with the statement ‘Allahu Akbar’ (God is Great).
Friday Prayers
Muslims all around the world observe Friday prayers. Their purpose is to bring Muslims together as a community and promote spiritual growth. For many Muslims, this is their favourite part of the week.
Until the end of 2021, Abu Dhabi and the UAE observed a Friday-Saturday weekend and a 5-day working week.
At the beginning of 2022, the official public sector weekend in Abu Dhabi and the UAE moved to Saturday and Sunday. Furthermore, the working week for public sector workers was reduced to a 4½ day week by introducing a midday finish on Friday.
Friday prayers are now held at 1.15 pm throughout the year.
Religious Holidays in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi’s religious holidays are based on the Hijri calendar (Islamic calendar), which differs from the Gregorian calendar (Western calendar) by roughly 10 days every year.
Such holidays include Eid al-Fitr, Arafah Day, Eid al- Adha, Islamic New Year, and the Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday.
Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting.
Mosques in Abu Dhabi
Mosques, or masjids as they are more commonly known in the Arab world, have been a vital part of Muslim culture since the first mosques were established in Medina and Mecca during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad.
Abu Dhabi has many mosques that serve the Muslim population in the city. In accordance with traditional Islamic architecture, most of them are dome-shaped and made of white marble.
Mosques in Abu Dhabi include:
- Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque (map view) – Non-Muslim tourists in Abu Dhabi can visit the beautiful Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. It was completed in 2007 and is the largest mosque in the UAE.
- Mariam Umm Eisa Masjid/Mary, Mother of Jesus Mosque (map view) – Opened in 1989 as Mohammed Bin Zayed Mosque. Name changed in 2017 to promote interfaith links in Abu Dhabi and the UAE.
