U.S.A. & Saudi Arabia: Comparing Economic Sectors - Essay Sample

Introduction

Both the United States of America and Saudi Arabia demonstrates similarities and differences in the various sectors of the economy. The difference indicates the unique aspects of the nations that make them distinct and have a competitive edge over the other. The focus of this paper is therefore on the analysis of the differences that exist between America and Saudi Arabia by looking at the key sectors that contribute to the progress of the countries.

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Differences

Governments are crucial when it comes to the running of a country, and they tend to be different from one country to another. The government of America and Saudi Arabia displays the difference in their governments hence contributing immensely to how the two countries are governed. The American government has divisions which are in the form of arms or branches. Unlike in Saudi where the king perform both roles of head of government and state, being commander in chief of the Saudi Arabia armed forces.

Additionally, Saudi's government nature is that of a monarchy whereby the eldest son of the king takes the throne in the event of the king's death. This is contrary to the American system in which the citizen elects the presidents during an electoral process which is known as the electoral college system. If the president passes away, the vice president takes charge of the office for the remaining term until the next election (Wright, 2016).

Saudi Arabia does not have a constitution since sharia laws guide it. The Quran works as the constitution, and the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed govern the government. This indicates that Saudi's religion and state is the same thing. America, on the other hand, is guided by a constitution that considers all faiths and races and any judgment made in courts is drawn from it. The American law runs all the affair of the nation as it online all the rights and freedom of the citizens, the different government branches functions and the democratic rule (Hopwood, 2015).

Another difference between the two countries can be drawn from their different cultures. The beliefs of Americans and the role played by religion tend to be different compared to those manifested among the Saudis. No significant value is represented on the religion among the Americans lives. On the other hand, the Saudis take religion as the most crucial thing in their lives. Religion brings and dictates life rhythm among the Saudis, and it plays a significant role in the country and society. America is known as an open-minded country worldwide, and for this, it is referred to as a free world. In contrast, Saudis are seen as living in a close-minded society, and they try harder not to have an uncertain future. This indicates the ability the Americans to embrace and accept diversity and the differences brought by people while Saudis take a lot of time to do a similar thing. Saudis culture is considered to be a polychromic society in which people tend to do many different things at a time meaning that they possess a flexible concept involving time. On the other hand, America is said to be a monochromic society in which people only do things at a time which is divided into various precise units.

Education forms an essential part of the development of a country without necessarily looking at the culture of that country. This explains why most governments around the world commit huge capital towards educating their people. The level and quality of education between Saudi and America are different since the US offers more considerable experience comparatively. The differences between the two in the education sector are mainly occasioned by the diverse cultures within the two nations. A gap exists in the language applied in the education system, and this is primarily due to the mother tongues in different countries. In America, education is only offered in English unlike in the Saudi where it is offered both in English and Arabic since Saudis national language is Arabic. University educational level is free in Saudi Arabia whereas in America it is not. Additionally, universities in Saudi give students salaries every month which contrast the US practice. Saudi Arabia also has separate universities for women and men while in America women and men go to the same university.

Educational difference between Saudi and America can also be seen in terms of clothes. Students do not put on the uniform in the US, and they are allowed the freedom to wear those clothes they see as being fit for them. In contrast, Students in Saudi must wear uniforms which are designed specific different school and this is mainly worn by those in lower classes and not university or college students. In America, universities entail large complexes and tend to be bigger and this is different from those in Saudi Arabia houses few students due to their small size. Moreover, Saudis education system has more stages compared to the American system, and this means that many of the students in Saudi end up finishing school while having old ages in comparison to the US students (Alqurashi, Gokbel & Carbonara, 2017).

Mixing up among the sexes in the workplace also highlights the critical difference between the two nations. The different sexes cannot mix while having businesses in Saudi Arabia. Women work in various shops that only offer products required by women exclusively. This is the opposite of the practice among the US citizens whereby women and men are allowed to intermingle during work times. America has recorded a flourishing economy as a result of the better ideas that comes when people of different sexes interact. Collectivism is crucial in Saudi Arabia as compared to American society, and this is mainly because the Saudi people tend to prefer joint group activities. The Saudi people prefer working in the companies within given groups to working alone from homes. This is in contrast to the preference of many Americans who prefer conducting their activities alone.

Additionally, Saudi employees look up to their bosses to make decisions for them, and this is in contrast to the American companies whereby there is no much variations between those of low and high status as the bosses gives all employees at all levels fair hearings. In Saudi Arabia, employees are not devoted to their work, and they do not work devotedly without necessarily having relationships with the managers at their workplaces. In American culture and society, the most crucial thing is the work, and no relationship is allowed to interfere with the coordination and working patterns between the employees and the managers (Wright, 2016).

Diversity plays a vital role in the work cultures among Americans. It is due to the difference that the work environment and culture of the American employees being completely different. Coping and adapting to new environments would be difficult for most Americans and as a result, their performances would decrease. Besides, the communication difference which relates to the different cultures is likely to contribute hugely to the misunderstanding among the Americans hence lowering the productivity and effectiveness of the group. Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, manifest minimal disagreements on the workplaces since there is no much cultural diversity as compared to the US (Wright, 2016).

Similarities

As a nation, both the US and Saudi Arabia demonstrates the existence of similarities that make them comparable. In the education sector, similarities are manifested in the abilities of the individuals in both countries to decide freely which institutions of learning to join. The government does not decide for an individual the universities and colleges join. Additionally, in both countries, the government spends in the education sector in a bid to enhance an affordable education to its citizens, and it is concerned with the level of infrastructural development which is necessary for a better system. Support towards the education of women is paramount among the two governments as large amounts of money are put aside by both towards the issue. Managers in both private and public in the US and Saudi Arabia play interdependent roles when it comes to the geopolitical leadership and energy management (Alsubaie & Jones, 2017). As the relationship evolves, the managers in the two countries come up with better ways of performing a task together and coming up with the response to the ever-changing economic and social landscape. The decision of the managers is guided by the open-minded principle acquired from their profession and that they should make independent decisions for the best interest of their companies.

Similarities between Saudi Arabia and the US are also manifested in their political systems. Political systems are the cornerstone towards development within a country, and in both countries, some authorities are competent to give and discuss various rules of their countries. In America, the power to formulate regulations is vested with Congress. Similarly, Majles Ashora of Saudi Arabia formulates the regulations to be followed and which are suitable to the Islamic religion at large. Additionally, the foreign relations of Saudi Arabia and the US tends to be similar to each other as both shows diplomatic ties with other more countries and this is important in enhancing the international links of the nations (Hopwood, 2015).

In both economies, entrepreneurship is vital in enhancing economic growth and creation of employment among the citizens. Various innovations are encouraged and supported by the government as a means of promoting local initiatives as a means of expanding domestic sectors that are key to building capacity for sustainability. Through the various innovations, both companies tend to rely on others that have a comparative advantage in the production of what they cannot do best. This promotes bilateral trade relationships with other nations. Also, in both capacities building is vital for a self-sustaining economy which provides equal chances for business to thrive. Increased trading activities call for economic regulations by the various agencies instituted by law to bring about check and balance and ensure healthy competition within the market (Wright, 2016).

Conclusion

In conclusion, there exists more significant differences between the US and Saudi Arabia and this as seen in the discussion could be from the political systems, governments, cultural variations, employment sectors, education, and the general nation's economy. This illustrates why one country tends to have a comparative advantage over the other and how similar they are.

References

Alsubaie, A., & Jones, K. (2017). An Overview of the Current State of Women's Leadership in Higher Education in Saudi Arabia and a Proposal for Future Research Directions. Administrative Sciences, 7(4), 36. Retrieved from https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3387/7/4/36

Alqurashi, E., Gokbel, E. N., & Carbonara, D. (2017). Teachers' knowledge in content, pedagogy and technology integration: A comparative analysis between teachers in Saudi Arabia and the United States. British Journal of Educational Technology, 48(6), 1414-1426. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/bjet.12514

Hopwood, D. (2015). The Arabian Peninsula: Society and Politics. Routledge. Retrieved from https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9781317420057

Wright Jr, J. W. (Ed.). (2016). Business and economic development in Saudi Arabia. Springer. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/bookshl=en&lr=&id=9x2_DAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=Culture+of+Saudi+Arabia+and+United+States+&ots=UxxBEUBKel&sig=7oSap-oVIhW5p8t1LvGgIUVVzxM