Should I write my CV in Arabic or English for Saudi Arabia?

Follow the job posting. Most private-sector roles in Saudi Arabia are advertised in English and expect an English CV. Government and some Arabic-first employers welcome Arabic CVs. Many candidates keep both versions.

Is an Arabic CV ATS friendly?

Yes, as long as it is a single-column, text-based document with standard headings and a common font. Test it by copying the PDF text into a plain editor and checking that it reads correctly.

How do I convert this template to Arabic?

Open the Word file, select all text, set paragraph direction to right-to-left, then replace each section heading with the Arabic equivalent listed on this page and fill in your details in Arabic.

[FULL NAME]

[TARGET JOB TITLE]

[City, Country] | [Phone] | [Email] | [LinkedIn / Portfolio]

Professional Summary

[Briefly introduce yourself, your experience, your profession, and your main strengths.]

Work Experience

[Job Title] | [Company Name] | [City, Country] | [MM/YYYY – Present]

• [Describe your main responsibility or task.]

• [Describe another important responsibility, task, or project.]

• [Add another relevant responsibility, task, or achievement.]

[Previous Job Title] | [Previous Company] | [City, Country] | [MM/YYYY – MM/YYYY]

• [Describe your main responsibility or task.]

• [Describe another important responsibility, task, or project.]

Education

[Degree / Qualification] | [Institution] | [City, Country] | [Year]

Skills

Certifications

[Certification] | [Issuing Organization] | [Year]

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Arabic CV Template for Saudi Arabia

نموذج سيرة ذاتية عربية

Government entities and many Saudi companies accept, and sometimes prefer, Arabic CVs. The template below uses the same ATS-safe structure as our English version. Open the Word file, switch the paragraph direction to right-to-left, and replace each heading with its Arabic equivalent from the table on this page.

Download PDF Download Word (.docx)

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Who this template is for

Saudi nationals and Arabic speakers applying to government, semi-government, or Arabic-first employers, or anyone who needs an Arabic version alongside an English CV.

How to fill in each section

السيرة الذاتية (Header)

الاسم الكامل، المسمى الوظيفي المستهدف، المدينة، رقم الجوال، البريد الإلكتروني، ورابط لينكدإن.

الملخص المهني (Professional Summary)

جملتان إلى أربع جمل تذكر فيها تخصصك وسنوات الخبرة وأهم نقاط القوة المرتبطة بالوظيفة.

الخبرات العملية (Work Experience)

ابدأ بالوظيفة الأحدث. اكتب المسمى الوظيفي | اسم الجهة | المدينة | التاريخ، ثم ٣ إلى ٥ نقاط بإنجازات قابلة للقياس.

المؤهلات العلمية (Education)

الدرجة العلمية، الجامعة، المدينة، سنة التخرج، والمعدل إذا كان مرتفعاً.

المهارات (Skills)

استخدم نفس المصطلحات الواردة في الإعلان الوظيفي. إذا كان الإعلان بالإنجليزية، اترك المصطلحات التقنية بالإنجليزية.

الشهادات المهنية (Certifications)

اذكر الشهادة والجهة المانحة والسنة، مثل هيئة المهندسين أو الهيئة السعودية للتخصصات الصحية.

Saudi-specific tips

Match the language of the job posting. If the ad is in English, send an English CV, even for a Saudi employer.
Keep technical terms, software names, and certification names in English inside an Arabic CV (for example SAP, PMP, AutoCAD). This is normal and helps keyword matching.
Use Arabic numerals or Western numerals consistently throughout. Do not mix them.
Before sending, copy the text from your PDF into a plain text editor. If the Arabic comes out reversed or broken, the ATS will likely see the same problem. Re-export from Word.

Common mistakes to avoid

Translating an English CV word-for-word, producing unnatural Arabic phrasing
Mixing right-to-left and left-to-right paragraphs so bullets and dates appear on the wrong side
Using decorative Arabic fonts that some ATS systems cannot extract correctly
Sending only an Arabic CV to a job posted in English

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