How to write a CV for Gulf & overseas jobs

Applying for a job in the Gulf — Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain — or anywhere overseas usually means your CV has to carry a few things an ordinary resume leaves out. Recruitment agencies and employers there scan hundreds of CVs, so a clear, one-page document with the right sections gets read; a cluttered one gets skipped. Here is exactly what to include.

What a Gulf / overseas CV must include

• Career objective. Two lines at the top saying the role you want and what you bring. Keep it specific to the job.
• Personal details. Full name (as in your passport), date of birth, nationality, marital status, languages and contact number.
• Passport details. This is the part a normal resume skips. Give your passport number, date and place of issue, and expiry date — agencies need it for visa processing.
• Work experience. Each job with company, role and dates, newest first, and one or two lines on what you did.
• Education & skills. Your qualifications and any trade skills or certificates relevant to the job.
• Declaration. A short line stating the information is true, with space for your signature and date.

Format and length

Keep it to one page wherever you can. Use a clean, single-font layout, clear section headings, and plenty of white space. A passport-size photo at the top is expected for most Gulf applications. Save and send it as a Word document (.docx) or a PDF — agencies often ask for Word so they can adjust it.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Leaving out passport details — the application can't move forward without them.
• A name that doesn't exactly match your passport.
• Two or three pages when one is enough — recruiters skim.
• Fancy colours or graphics that don't print well. Clean and readable wins.