UAE CV at a glance
Practice items are common recruiter expectations, not rules. Official items were checked on 14 October 2026.
| Topic | What to do | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Length | One page for freshers, two pages for most experienced candidates | Common practice |
| Order | Newest job first; education first if you are a fresh graduate | Common practice |
| Personal details | Nationality, visa status, driving licence and notice period near the top | Common practice |
| Photo and date of birth | Optional; add only if the job ad asks | Common practice |
| Discrimination | Banned on grounds such as race, colour, sex, religion, national or social origin and disability | Labour law, Article 4 |
| Degrees | Foreign certificates are attested in the issuing country and by the UAE embassy; some jobs need a degree for the work permit | u.ae |
| Recruitment fees | You should not pay; offers can be checked with MoHRE | u.ae |
Emirati job seekers apply for private-sector roles through the Nafis platform as well as directly.
What UAE employers expect to see
Recruiters in the UAE review large numbers of applications from many countries, so they look for a few details quickly. Put these in your header, under your name and contact details:
- Nationality, because some roles, sectors and visa routes depend on it
- Visa status, for example employment visa, residence visa through a family member, golden visa or visit visa
- Whether you hold a UAE driving licence, which matters for sales, field and driving roles
- Your notice period or the date you can start
- The city you are in, such as Dubai, Sharjah or Abu Dhabi
Length, order and layout
Keep it to one page if you are a fresh graduate and two pages for most experienced roles. Use the reverse-chronological order: your latest job first, with three to five bullet points that show results such as revenue, savings, volumes handled or certifications earned. Freshers can put education and skills above experience. Save and send the CV as a PDF with a simple one-column layout, because many companies use applicant tracking systems that read plain text more reliably than tables, text boxes and graphics.
Photo, age and other personal details
Photos and dates of birth are still common on UAE CVs, but they are not required and you can leave them out unless the advert asks for them. The UAE labour law (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 4) prohibits discrimination in employment on grounds including race, colour, sex, religion, national or social origin and disability, and the government's anti-discrimination page explains the wider framework. Marital status, religion and passport numbers do not belong on a CV; give them only later, when an employer needs them for the visa.
Languages, including Arabic
List every language with an honest level, for example Arabic (native), English (fluent), Hindi (conversational). Arabic is an advantage for customer-facing, government-relations and many Abu Dhabi roles, and some employers ask for an Arabic CV. If you write one, keep the content identical to the English version so that dates and job titles match. The CV maker can produce the same CV in both languages.
Degrees and attestation
If you are hired from abroad or into a skilled role, your employer may need your degree for the work permit. The UAE government explains that certificates are authenticated in the country that issued them, by its foreign ministry, and then by the UAE embassy or consulate there, with some professions also needing attestation by the Ministry of Education. MoHRE groups jobs into professional levels, and the higher levels need a degree or diploma. Write the exact name of your degree and university on the CV as it appears on the certificate, so that it matches the attested document.
Fake job offers and recruitment fees
The UAE government warns job seekers that a genuine job offer can be checked with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE), that recruitment and visa costs are paid by the employer, and that a visit visa does not allow you to work. Never pay an agency or "recruiter" for a job, a visa or a medical test, and be careful when an offer arrives from a free email address. See our UAE scam alerts for how to report fraud. If you are already working in the UAE and an employer or recruiter has charged you, you can complain to MoHRE through its app or website or on 80084, without waiting until you are back home.
Emirati job seekers
UAE nationals can register on the Nafis platform, the federal programme for Emirati employment in the private sector, which connects job seekers with approved companies. A CV is still needed for each application, and the same format advice applies.