Writing a CV that Gulf employers accept
The format, the details and the mistakes that decide whether your CV is read or skipped.
One or two pages, in English
Gulf employers read hundreds of CVs per vacancy. Keep yours to two pages, in English, with your name, phone number with country code, email, nationality and current city at the top.
Save it as a PDF named with your own name and the job title. A file called "cv final 2.docx" gets lost in an inbox.
Put dates and duties in order
List your jobs newest first, each with the employer, the city and the month and year you started and left. Unexplained gaps raise questions, so add a short line if you studied, travelled or cared for family.
Under each job write three or four lines of duties with numbers in them. Skip long paragraphs — nobody reads them.
Add the documents the employer needs
Mention your passport validity, your driving licence if you have one, the languages you speak and your certificates with the issuing body. These are the fields recruiters check first for visa eligibility.
A clear photo is expected for most Gulf roles. Use a plain background and normal daylight — not a cropped social media picture.