Ramadan timetable 2027 in Mecca: calculated times
In Mecca, the Ramadan timetable 2027 consists of two times to know each day: imsak, when the pre-dawn meal must end, and iftar, when the fast is broken at sunset. On Monday 8 February, the expected first day, imsak falls at 05:30 and iftar at 18:15.
In Mecca, the first fast of Ramadan 2027 is expected on Monday 8 February, with imsak at 05:30 and iftar at 18:15, giving a fast of 12 h 45 min. The days lengthen gently, reaching 13 h 15 min by the 29th day.
| Day | Imsak | Fajr | Sunrise | Iftar (maghrib) | Isha | Fasting time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 – Mon 8 Feb | 05:30 | 05:40 | 06:55 | 18:15 | 19:26 | 12 h 45 |
| Day 15 – Mon 22 Feb | 05:23 | 05:33 | 06:47 | 18:22 | 19:32 | 12 h 59 |
| Day 29 – Mon 8 Mar | 05:12 | 05:22 | 06:36 | 18:28 | 19:37 | 13 h 15 |
Calculated estimates (18°/17° (MWL)). The IslamicFinder widget above shows today’s times; check with your local mosque.
A timetable shaped by the tropics
Mecca lies at about 21 degrees north, just inside the tropics, so daylight changes only modestly between February and March. The table above shows the fast growing by exactly half an hour across the month, from 12 h 45 min to 13 h 15 min.
Mornings drift earlier while evenings drift later. Imsak moves from 05:30 on day one to 05:23 at mid-month and 05:12 on the 29th, while the sunset call to prayer shifts from 18:15 to 18:22 and finally to 18:28.
Imsak, fajr and the long wait for sunrise
Imsak is printed ten minutes before fajr as a precaution: 05:30 on the first morning, against a fajr of 05:40. Eating must stop by fajr at the latest, and the sun itself only rises at 06:55, well over an hour later.
Calculation angles and the official Saudi calendar
These figures follow the Muslim World League convention, with the sun 18 degrees below the horizon for fajr and 17 degrees for isha. Saudi Arabia officially uses the Umm al-Qura calendar, whose parameters differ, so locally published times may vary by several minutes.
During Ramadan the Umm al-Qura timetable traditionally places isha a fixed interval after maghrib rather than using an angle, which explains any gap with the 19:26 shown here. Visitors at the Grand Mosque simply follow the adhan called from its minarets.
Who confirms the start of the month
In Saudi Arabia the Supreme Court invites the public to look for the new crescent and then confirms whether Ramadan has begun. For 1448 the first fast is anticipated on Monday 8 February 2027, with tarawih opening the night before, on Sunday 7 February.
If the crescent is not seen, everything moves one day later. The 27th night, widely sought as Laylat al-Qadr, is expected on the evening of Friday 5 March, and Eid al-Fitr on Tuesday 9 March, or on Wednesday 10 March after thirty days.
Evenings around the Masjid al-Haram
Ramadan turns the Masjid al-Haram into one of the busiest places on earth, as pilgrims performing umrah join residents for tarawih and the night prayers of the last ten nights. Iftar inside the mosque is often just dates, Zamzam water and Arabic coffee.
Late-winter weather in the holy city
February and early March are among the gentlest months in Mecca, with warm afternoons often around thirty degrees Celsius and noticeably milder nights. The rocky valley still heats up quickly, so drinking steadily between iftar and suhoor matters for anyone walking long distances.
How other Saudi cities compare
Saudi Arabia keeps a single time zone, so longitude moves sunset considerably. On day one Jeddah, on the Red Sea coast, breaks its fast at 18:17, two minutes after Mecca, while Riyadh does so at 17:43 and Dammam, on the Gulf, at 17:27.
Practical advice for pilgrims and residents
Crowds peak during the final ten nights, when securing a place for tarawih can take hours of waiting. Planning daily movements around the 18:15 to 18:28 iftar window, and resting after the dawn prayer, helps limit fatigue over a long stay.
- Carry dates and water at sunset, as queues form quickly near the gates
- Finish suhoor before 05:30 at the start and before 05:12 at the end of the month
- Rest in the early afternoon, when the sun is strongest
- Wear comfortable footwear for the walk between hotel and mosque
- Keep a timetable based on Umm al-Qura times as a cross-check
When is the first iftar in Mecca?
On Monday 8 February 2027 the fast should end at 18:15, with the maghrib call to prayer. That first day lasts 12 h 45 min, starting with imsak at 05:30 and fajr at 05:40, as listed in the table above.
How long is the final fast of the month?
By the 29th day, Monday 8 March, fasting stretches to 13 h 15 min, thirty minutes more than at the outset. Imsak then falls at 05:12 and iftar at 18:28, so the mornings shift more than the evenings do.
Are night prayers held throughout the month?
Yes, the Grand Mosque holds tarawih every night, beginning on the eve of the first fast, expected Sunday 7 February. In the last ten nights a second, later prayer known as qiyam draws particularly large congregations until shortly before suhoor.