Keep the facts identical across both versions: dates, employers, titles and qualifications must match. Adapt the rest. Arabic CVs often carry a fuller personal summary, and job titles rarely translate word for word, so use the title the local market recognises. Send the language the employer advertised in, and keep both files current.
Prepare separate Arabic and English CV files when an employer requests both languages or you are applying to vacancies written in each language. Keep names, employers, dates, qualifications and results identical in meaning. Rewrite the summary for the target role rather than translating every sentence mechanically. Export and inspect each file separately, especially Arabic punctuation and right-to-left layout.
Build one factual master record
| Keep consistent | Adapt for each language |
|---|---|
| Official employer and qualification names | Explain the role in familiar local terms |
| Start and end dates | Date display and direction |
| Measured results and project scope | Summary and skill labels requested by the vacancy |
A useful master record can be a simple list outside the design tool: role, employer, period, task, evidence and result. Translate from that record. Do not edit a result in one file and forget the other. If a certificate has an official English name, retain it and explain it only when needed.
Test the Arabic PDF
- Check that right-to-left paragraphs align as intended and numbers appear in the correct order.
- Look at mixed Arabic and English lines such as email, software names and dates.
- Copy text from the PDF into a plain editor. If words reverse or disappear, try a simpler template.
- Ask a fluent reader to review the role summary; automatic translation can turn a job title into the wrong occupation.
Fictional consistency check
Master: Inventory review project, January–March 2026, three documented checks.
English CV: Describe the three checks and your own part.
Arabic CV: Preserve the same dates and number; adjust wording to natural Arabic.
Both: Do not turn a course project into employment.
Use the UAE format guide or Saudi format guide for vacancy-specific choices. Compare resume templates with a short sample before selecting one for bilingual work.
- Should I put both languages on one page?
- Usually make separate versions if the employer asks for each. A bilingual page can become crowded and harder to parse; follow the vacancy's instructions.
- Can I translate my CV automatically?
- Use translation as a draft, then review titles, dates, numbers and terminology with a fluent reader.
