Many job seekers in the Arab world, and Arabic speakers abroad, ask the same question: should my CV be in Arabic, in English, or both? There is no single answer for every country, but there is a simple way to decide.

Follow the job advert

The best clue is the advert itself.

  • If the advert is written in English, send an English CV.
  • If it is written in Arabic, send an Arabic CV, unless it asks for English.
  • If it asks for both, or for a specific language, do exactly what it asks.

Think about who will read it

Ask yourself who will open the file first.

  • International companies and many private companies often work in English, even in Arabic-speaking countries.
  • Government bodies, local companies, schools and charities may prefer Arabic.
  • Jobs abroad usually need the local business language, which is often English.

If you are not sure, it is fine to look at the company's website or job pages and see which language they use.

Keep two versions ready

If you apply to different kinds of employers, it saves time to keep both an Arabic and an English CV. Keep the facts exactly the same in both: the same jobs, dates, degrees and skills. Only the language changes.

A few tips for the second version:

  • Translate job titles to the usual title in that language, not word for word.
  • Keep names of companies, universities and software in their official spelling.
  • Ask someone who writes that language well to read it once.
  • Do not rely only on automatic translation; read every line and fix what sounds wrong.

Your language level is a skill too

Whatever language your CV is in, list your languages with an honest level. If your CV is in English but your English is basic, the interview will show it. It is better to say "Intermediate" and be comfortable than to say "Fluent" and struggle.

In short

Match the advert, think of the reader, keep the facts identical in both versions, and be honest about your language level.

In Sahla CV you choose the CV language separately from the site language, so you can write an Arabic CV while the site is in English, or the other way round.