The United Kingdom is a well-developed state that has a great economy and valued people. In contrast, Saudi Arabia is a developing country that’s economy is based off of oil. Saudi Arabia’s oil reserve is the largest in the world and is the world’s largest exporter of oil. While the UK, has a market-based economy that has extensive social welfare and gives its citizens a high standard of living.
In the 18th century, United Kingdom was the first to industrialize. Now, the UK is has the sixth largest economy in the world. They have GDP per capita of $35,690. Eighty percent of its people are in the tertiary sector, which includes banking, law, education, and government. Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, has a GDP per capita of only $16,620. Sixty percent of working Saudi people is in the secondary sector of industry. Fifty-five percent of Saudi Arabia’s GDP comes form oil.
The United Kingdom’s natural increase rate is .2%, which is tremendous. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia’s NIR is 18.39% which is very high. This shows that the population of Saudi Arabia is growing rapidly. The crude birth rate is 22% for Saudi Arabia compared to UK’s at 12.29. Saudi Arabia was based on Agriculture before the discovery of oil in the 1930s.
Saudi Arabia’s literacy rate for women is 70.8%, which is low. This is because women in the Middle East are not allowed to be literate by their religion. But the UK’s literacy rate is 99%. Education is now mandatory in UK from ages five to sixteen.
Considering all this data and information I believe that these countries are very different. I think that the United Kingdom is a country in stage 5 of Rostow’s Development Model because they have moved from production of heavy industry to consumer goods. Saudi Arabia is in stage 3 of Rostow’s Model because they have had rapid economic growth due to oil. These countries are a great example of the