Riyadh
1,798 km²
Shenzhen
1,997 km²
Saudi Arabia
China
Area Comparison
Riyadh is 1.1x smaller than Shenzhen
Population Comparison
Riyadh has 2.5x fewer people than Shenzhen
In terms of area, Shenzhen is 1.1x the size of Riyadh. Shenzhen spans 1,997 km² (771 mi²) while Riyadh covers 1,798 km² (694 mi²) — a difference of 199 km².
To put Riyadh's size in perspective, its area of 1,798 km² is about 1.1x the size of London. Meanwhile, Shenzhen at 1,997 km² is roughly the same size as Tokyo (city proper).
Riyadh's footprint is roughly about 252,000 American football fields, 30 times the area of Manhattan, or 17 times the area of Paris — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. Shenzhen, by comparison, equals about 280,000 American football fields, 34 times the area of Manhattan, or 19 times the area of Paris.
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. Located on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa, the current form of the metropolis largely emerged in the 1950s as an expansion of the 18th-century walled town, following the dismantling of its defensive fortifications.
Riyadh covers 1,798 km² with a population of 7.0 million. The city was established in 1746. Riyadh is known for Kingdom Centre Tower, Masmak Fortress, Al Faisaliah Tower, among other attractions.
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia, sitting on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa.
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.
Also known as "China's Silicon Valley", Shenzhen has an area of 1,997 km² and is home to 17.6 million people. The city dates back to 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
Riyadh has a population density of 3,899 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Shenzhen, with 8,793 people per km², is a densely populated city. Shenzhen is noticeably denser, packing 2.3 times more people per square kilometer.
Density Gap
Shenzhen is 2.3x more densely populated
History
Riyadh is ~233 years older
Riyadh covers 1,798 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Houston (1,725 km²), Johannesburg (1,644 km²), Shenzhen (1,997 km²), Bogotá (1,578 km²), or London (1,572 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 Riyadh to Shenzhen is 6,794 km (4,222 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~8h 30m.
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