Abu Dhabi
972 km²
Xi'an
10,097 km²
United Arab Emirates
People's Republic of China
Area Comparison
Abu Dhabi is 10.4x smaller than Xi'an
Population Comparison
Abu Dhabi has 8.2x fewer people than Xi'an
Yes — Xi'an is 10.4x larger than Abu Dhabi by area. Xi'an spans 10,097 km² (3,898 mi²) while Abu Dhabi covers 972 km² (375 mi²) — a difference of 9,125 km². You could fit Abu Dhabi inside Xi'an approximately 10 times.
To put Abu Dhabi's size in perspective, its area of 972 km² is roughly the same size as Berlin. Meanwhile, Xi'an at 10,097 km² is about 1.6x the size of Shanghai.
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. Xi'an, by comparison, equals about 1,400,000 American football fields, 170 times the area of Manhattan, or 96 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.
Xi'an is the capital of the Chinese province of Shaanxi. A sub-provincial city on the Guanzhong plain, the city is the third-most populous city in Western China after Chongqing and Chengdu, as well as the most populous city in Northwestern China. Its total population was 12.95 million in the 2020 census, including an urban population of 9.28 million.
Often called "Ancient Capital", Xi'an has an area of 10,097 km² and is home to 12.9 million people. Visitors come for Terracotta Army, Xi'an City Wall, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, and much more.
Xi'an's 2020 census recorded 12.95 million residents, making it the most populous city in Northwestern China.
Abu Dhabi has a population density of 1,615 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Xi'an, with 1,283 people per km², is a relatively spread-out city. Both cities have comparable density, though Abu Dhabi is slightly more compact.
Size Ratio
Abu Dhabi fits inside Xi'an ~10 times
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).
Xi'an covers 10,097 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Melbourne (9,993 km²), Wuhan (8,569 km²), Sydney (12,368 km²), Guangzhou (7,434 km²), or Chengdu (14,378 km²).
Abu Dhabi vs Minneapolis
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Abu Dhabi vs Tehran
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Osaka vs Xi'an
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San Francisco vs Xi'an
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Xi'an vs Zurich
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The straight-line distance from Abu Dhabi to Xi'an is 5,337 km (3,316 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~6h 47m.
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