Abu Dhabi
972 km²
Shenzhen
1,997 km²
United Arab Emirates
China
Area Comparison
Abu Dhabi is 2.1x smaller than Shenzhen
Population Comparison
Abu Dhabi has 11.2x fewer people than Shenzhen
Shenzhen is significantly larger, covering 2.1 times the area of Abu Dhabi. Shenzhen spans 1,997 km² (771 mi²) while Abu Dhabi covers 972 km² (375 mi²) — a difference of 1,025 km². You could fit Abu Dhabi inside Shenzhen approximately 2 times.
To put Abu Dhabi's size in perspective, its area of 972 km² is roughly the same size as Berlin. Meanwhile, Shenzhen at 1,997 km² is roughly the same size as Tokyo (city proper).
Picture Abu Dhabi another way: its area is large enough to fit about 136,000 American football fields, 16 times the area of Manhattan, or 9 times the area of Paris. Shenzhen works out to about 280,000 American football fields, 34 times the area of Manhattan, or 19 times the area of Paris.
Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The city is the seat of the Abu Dhabi Central Capital District, the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the UAE's second-most populous city, after Dubai. The city is situated on a T-shaped island, extending into the Persian Gulf from the central-western coast of the UAE.
Abu Dhabi covers 972 km² with a population of 1.6 million. Abu Dhabi is known for Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Emirates Palace, among other attractions.
Abu Dhabi sits on a T-shaped island extending into the Persian Gulf from the UAE's central-western coast.
Shenzhen is a prefecture-level city in the province of Guangdong, China. A special economic zone, it is located on the east bank of the Pearl River estuary on the central coast of Guangdong, bordering Hong Kong to the south, Dongguan to the north, Huizhou to the northeast, and Macau to the southwest. With a population of 17.5 million in 2020, Shenzhen is the third-most-populous city by urban population in China after Shanghai and Beijing.
Often called "China's Silicon Valley", Shenzhen has an area of 1,997 km² and is home to 17.6 million people. It was established in 1979. Visitors come for Ping An Finance Centre, Window of the World, OCT Loft, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Shenzhen Metro.
Shenzhen grew from a small town into China's third-most-populous urban city, hitting 17.5 million residents by 2020
Abu Dhabi has a population density of 1,615 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Shenzhen, with 8,793 people per km², is a densely populated city. Shenzhen is dramatically more crowded, with 5.4x the population density.
Abu Dhabi has a desert climate climate while Shenzhen experiences humid subtropical conditions.
Size Ratio
Abu Dhabi fits inside Shenzhen ~2 times
Density Gap
Shenzhen is 5.4x more densely populated
Abu Dhabi covers 972 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include San Diego (964 km²), Dallas (997 km²), Berlin (892 km²), Hong Kong (1,114 km²), or Santiago (838 km²).
Shenzhen covers 1,997 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Ho Chi Minh City (2,061 km²), Tokyo (2,194 km²), Riyadh (1,798 km²), Houston (1,725 km²), or Johannesburg (1,644 km²).
The straight-line distance from Abu Dhabi to Shenzhen is 6,042 km (3,754 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~7h 36m.
Want to explore more? Compare city sizes for any two cities worldwide, or share your location live with friends.