Resume rules in Saudi Arabia
What employers in Saudi Arabia expect on a السيرة الذاتية (CV), what the law lets them ask for, and where the two disagree.
Call it a CV for Saudi Arabia, a resume for Saudi Arabia, or السيرة الذاتية: it's the same document.
This is research, not legal advice. Employment and data protection law changes, state and provincial rules matter in federal countries, and practice varies by industry and seniority. Each entry shows when it was looked up and how confident we are. Where nothing reliable was published it says Not found rather than a guess.
Law and practice, side by side
The label on the right is what local hiring expects. The two lines under it are the law and the habit, which often disagree.
Photo: Expected
Expected; passport-style professional headshot, conservative business attire, women may wear hijab
What the law says: No law mandating photos; employer recruitment practices driven by Nitaqat program and commercial hiring norms
Date of birth: Expected
Expected; Gregorian format preferred, especially for age-specific roles or graduate programs
What the law says: No law directly mandating DOB in CVs
Marital status: Expected
Expected; commonly included along with number of dependents
What the law says: No law mandating marital status
Sex or gender: Expected
Expected/implied via photo
What the law says: No law mandating gender statement
Nationality: Expected
Expected/required; driven by Saudization (Nitaqat) compliance requirements for employers
What the law says: No law mandating nationality, but Nitaqat program creates regulatory pressure
National ID number: Expected
Expected; Iqama (residence permit) or visa status required
What the law says: No law found on national ID numbers
The rest of the entry
- Local name of the document
- السيرة الذاتية (CV)
- Language to submit in
- Arabic (preferred for local); English (for international)
- Typical length
- Not specified; appears to be comprehensive
- Address detail expected
- City included
- Officially prescribed form
- None found; Nitaqat program may influence employer-specific forms
- Religion, ethnicity or caste
- Not mentioned in search results; likely omitted
- Other customary attachments
- Iqama/visa status, number of dependents, mobile number with country code (+966)
- Employer may not ask for
- Not explicitly stated
- Named statutes
- Nitaqat (Vision 2030 Saudization program)
- Local language source
- Arabic not checked
Where this came from
Looked up 2026-08-15. Independently checked 2026-08-15. High confidence. Result of that check: Confirmed.
Notes: Nitaqat program creates unique legal/commercial pressure to disclose nationality. Personal details (photo, DOB, marital, Iqama) are standard employer expectations, likely for visa sponsorship and Saudization compliance. No explicit legal requirement found, but practices are driven by regulatory framework.
Researched with AI assistants working from a written checklist, then independently checked. How we researched this