Saudi Arabia CV Format 2026: Sample CV, English and Word Template

Saudi employers accept a clear CV that makes your qualification, relevant work or training and contact details easy to find. Write it in the language the vacancy uses, usually English for private-sector roles, and keep transcripts, training letters and identity documents as separate attachments rather than inside the CV.

The example below is fictional and instructional. Replace every placeholder with your facts and remove any experience or skill you do not have. Its tasks are not a real customer's results.

To start from a layout, choose a single-column design from the resume templates, then fill it with the example below.

Which CV (resume) format is accepted in Saudi Arabia?

There is no single official format. A reverse-chronological CV that puts the qualification and the most relevant work or training near the top works for most private-sector and graduate applications. Government and university programmes often use their own forms, so follow those instructions first.

Saudi CV format: build the document around the vacancy

Read the vacancy before choosing a layout. Note the role, essential qualifications, requested language, application channel and required documents. Use those details to select evidence from your own history. A Saudi application may be a graduate job, an experienced role or a university training placement; the same section order will not serve each equally well.

Saudi Arabia CV format in English or Arabic

Do not assume every Riyadh employer wants English or every Jeddah employer wants Arabic. Start with the stated requirement. If none is given, the language of the advertisement is a reasonable starting point. For two versions, translate meaning carefully: the degree, job dates, seniority and language proficiency should agree. Keep a software product name in its recognizable form instead of inventing a translated certification.

The two versions describe the same fictional project. Neither turns testing a student form into managing a production system. For more options, use the profile and objective examples and replace the sample evidence.

Saudi Arabia CV format in Word or PDF

Write the CV in Word, Google Docs or a CV builder, using a single-column layout so the section order survives an applicant tracking system. Send a PDF unless the vacancy asks for a Word file: a PDF keeps your layout and Arabic text direction the same on the recruiter's screen. If you are asked for Word, save a .docx copy and open it once more to check that dates and headings did not move.

Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam: does the city change the CV?

No. The Saudi CV format above works the same way in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam or any other Saudi city — same section order, same language decision, same attachment checks. What changes between two applications is the vacancy, not the city it's posted in.

If a specific employer's instructions say something different from any of this, follow the employer's instructions. They are the actual authority on what that one application needs.

CV for study in Saudi Arabia: universities and scholarships

A CV for a Saudi university place or scholarship is an academic CV, not a job CV. Admissions readers look for your qualifications and grades, the program you are applying to and evidence that you can handle the coursework. Each university and scholarship program publishes its own document list, so treat the program's application page as the authority and use the points below as a starting structure.

• Put education first: certificate or degree, institution, dates and grade or GPA exactly as it appears on your transcript.
• Name the program and the university in the profile line, and keep the stated goal to what you can support.
• List research, a thesis, academic projects, publications or awards with dates. Leave out anything you cannot document.
• Add a language test only with the real score and test date, and only if the program asks for one.
• Keep work experience short unless the program values it, and send transcripts, certificates and recommendation letters as separate attachments.

Separate your Saudi CV from the application attachments

A CV is a summary of relevant evidence. A transcript, university training letter or identity document serves another purpose. Aramco’s university internship guidance, for example, describes supporting academic documents for that specific programme. Treat the current programme page as the authority for its eligibility and attachments; do not copy its requirements into every Saudi application.

• Keep requested documents as separate files when the form provides separate upload fields.
• Write a GPA with its scale when requested, such as [actual GPA]/[scale]. Do not convert it to another scale using a guessed calculation.
• Describe an expected graduation date as expected. Update it if your university changes the date.
• Use the employer’s approved channel for requested identity or eligibility documents. A public portfolio does not need copies of those documents.

Turn a responsibility into evidence without invented numbers

A responsibility tells the reader what the role involved. A useful bullet adds what you personally did and what came out of it. Numbers are helpful when you can verify them, but a specific deliverable is better than an invented percentage. If you supported a process rather than owned it, use that distinction.

Use the skills guide to connect each claim to evidence. For a regulated role, state your actual credential and status accurately and check the employer and relevant professional body for the current requirement. A template does not establish professional eligibility.

Review the Saudi application version before sending

Open the final file and read it from the top as if you have never met the applicant. Is the target role apparent? Are the newest dates easy to find? Does every link open while signed out? If the form parses your CV, review its output rather than assuming a successful upload means correct extraction. Follow the requested file format and keep the file name clear, for example Firstname-Lastname-CV.pdf.

Applying across the Gulf? Compare layouts in best CV templates for the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Teachers can follow the teacher portfolio (achievement file) guide, and if your work can be shown, a short portfolio link next to your contact details helps; how to make a portfolio for a job explains what to include.

Should I put a photo or nationality on a Saudi CV?

Follow the employer’s stated requirements and distinguish CV content from separate eligibility fields. Neither a photo nor a personal-data block proves suitability for a job. Include information because it is requested or useful to the application, rather than because a template has an empty slot.

Is a cooperative-training CV the same as a graduate CV?

They share core sections, but a training application should make the academic placement and available dates clear. The cooperative-training guide includes a document checklist and a request example.

Can I use ArcPixel for the final document?

You can import an existing PDF, DOCX or text resume, or start with editable sections. Review the imported text and preview the layout. PDF export is a paid feature; choose a different output workflow if the application specifically requires Word.

Can I download a Saudi CV format as a PDF?

You can export your own CV as a PDF from any word processor or CV builder. In ArcPixel you can build and preview for free; PDF export needs a paid plan. Check that the exported text can be selected and copied before you submit it.

How do I write a CV for studying in Saudi Arabia?

Use an academic CV: education and grades first, then the program you are applying to, academic projects or research, and language results if the program requests them. Check the university's or scholarship program's own document list, because each one sets its own requirements.

What is the CV format for freshers in Saudi Arabia?

Put education, training and projects before work experience, keep it to one page, and name the role you are applying for in the profile. The cooperative-training CV and graduate CV guides have fictional examples.

Is there a Saudi Arabia CV format in Word?

There is no official Word template. Copy the sample CV on this page into Word, keep one column, and save it as PDF unless the employer asks for a .docx file.

A CV is not the whole eligibility file

• Aramco's university internship page lists a university letter and an academic transcript among its required documents. Those programme requirements do not establish mandatory fields for every Saudi CV.
• For a cooperative-training opportunity, confirm your university's dates and requirements before stating availability. A CV cannot replace an official university letter.
• Use the language requested in the vacancy. If it is unclear, consider the language of the application and ask the recruiter where possible. Do not assume every employer in Riyadh or Jeddah wants English.
• Provide nationality, identity or residency information in the employer's secure required fields when relevant. Avoid copying sensitive document numbers into a public CV or portfolio.

Why the example is written this way

The profile names the candidate's actual level and the project identifies both the output and a quality check. A completed placement should use real dates; a planned placement belongs under availability, not work experience.

Next step

Use the UAE guide or Saudi guide for your application, or return to the guides hub. Use the resume builder to organise your information. Building and previewing are free; PDF export requires a paid plan. See pricing.

If the employer accepts email applications, use the free CV email writer to prepare your subject and message, then review the draft and attach your CV before sending.