Al Riyadh and New York are two cities miles apart, but have sharp differences and striking similarities that would leave anybody baffled. What remains fact, however, is that the two cities have a lot to be admired. Al Riyadh is the Capital city of Saudi Arabia, the biggest metropolis in the region. New York is also a metropolis in America and is the heart of the New York Metropolitan in New York State. There are many similarities and differences between the two cities, a number of which is discussed below.
Similarities between Al Riyadh and New York.
The most notable similarity between the two cities is that they both are hubs and focal places of interaction. New York is the centre of the New York municipal while Al Riyadh is a capital city. In both cities, the infrastructure is well established to facilitate efficient communication in the area. New York has a well-linked network of roads and subway trains. Al Riyadh also has the same features, making it easy to commute and communicate in the city.
New York and Al Riyadh are also both business centers. New York is an International business center, being one of the three command centers in the world economy. The other two command centers are Tokyo and London. Conversely, Al Riyadh is also a business center in Saudi Arabia and most people from the Middle East converge here to conduct their business transactions. The metropolis is also residence to many companies, especially oil oriented companies.
The other similarity between New York and Al Riyadh is the large population that is contained in the two cities. Both cities boast a population of over 5 million people. New York has a population of 8175133 according to the United States Census held in 2010. Al Riyadh has a population of close to 7 million people. The population in both the areas consists of mixed races, as many people have emigrated from other areas of the globe to the two cities to look for job opportunities.
Another striking similarity in the two cities is the skyline. Both cities are ornamented with unique and scenic skyscrapers among other buildings. New York has over 50 complete Skyscrapers and 5, 937 apartment buildings with over 550 being over 100 meters high. Striking buildings in New York comprise the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building. Al Riyadh also has very interesting contemporary architecture, most notable being the Kingdom Centre, which is shaped like a bottle opener. It won the 2002 skyscraper award. The Bur Al Faisaliyah is the first skyscraper constructed in Saudi Arabia; it is located in Al Riyadh. The other similarity between the two cities is that they are both tourist hubs. New York records 40 million tourists each year both domestic and foreign. The major attraction sites are Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Al Riyadh is also a major tourist attraction, the city plays host to millions of Muslims during the Pilgrimage and Omrah seasons.
Differences between Al Riyadh and New York.
There are not many differences between the two cities as all most all aspects in the operations and economy are similar. However, the difference comes in when culture is considered. As much as Al Riyadh may be a multi-ethnic city, its main cultural orientation is that of Islam. This can be evidenced from the cuisines available there, the dress codes, and even the law. Contrary to this, New York in a purely multi-ethnic and multi-racial city. There are no particular cultural trends as the population there is a mixture of cultures. There is no specific code of dressing in New York; everybody dresses to his or her own preferences.
The laws between the two cities are also quite different. Al Riyadh follows the Sheria Law while New York follows its state laws.
Religion is also a major difference between the two cities. New York is home to very many religious communities; Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, among many others are prominent in the city. In Al Riyadh, however, the prominent religion is Islam, with other religions such as Christianity, existing but not well established in the city.
Conclusion.
Overall, the two cities, New York and Al Riyadh, are very significant in the countries they are located. They play a major role in linking other parts of the countries they are in together; they also link the countries to the rest of the world. It is therefore in order to say that despite the differences and similarities between the two cities, they have a major integrating role globally and regionally.
