Resume rules in the United Arab Emirates

What employers in the United Arab Emirates expect on a السيرة الذاتية (al-sīrah al-dhātiyyah) / CV, what the law lets them ask for, and where the two disagree.

Call it a CV for the United Arab Emirates or a resume for the United Arab Emirates: it's the same document. Employers there usually want it written in Arabic, English.

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 photo

What the law says: Not legally required

Date of birth: Common

Commonly included but omitting it is recommended to prevent age discrimination

What the law says: Not legally required; emirate labour law does not mandate DOB on CVs

Marital status: Not found

Often omitted or marked as 'preferred not to say'

What the law says: Not legally required

Sex or gender: Not found

Not typically listed unless relevant to role

What the law says: Not legally mandated; gender equality law applies to hiring but not CV content

Nationality: Not found

Visa status expected; nationality sometimes included

What the law says: Not legally required on CV itself

National ID number: Not found

ID number/passport number sometimes requested but not standard on CV

What the law says: Not legally required

The rest of the entry

Local name of the document
السيرة الذاتية (al-sīrah al-dhātiyyah) / CV
Language to submit in
Arabic, English
Typical length
1-2 pages (1 page for entry-level)
Address detail expected
City and contact details, full address optional
Signature and date
Not required
Officially prescribed form
None officially prescribed
Religion, ethnicity or caste
Not legally required; data protection restricts sensitive data
Health, disability or pregnancy
Not legally required; sensitive data restricted
Other customary attachments
References, educational certificates, work authorization documentation for foreigners
Employer may not ask for
Employers cannot discriminate based on nationality, gender, religion, or disability per Federal Labour Law
Named statutes
Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 Concerning Regulating Labor Relations (replaced Federal Law No. 8 of 1980)
Data protection regime
UAE Privacy Regulation; General Data Protection Principles under Federal Law No. 5 of 1992
Anti-discrimination statutes
Federal Labour Law; Gender equality provisions
Local language source
Arabic

Where this came from

Looked up 2026-08-15. Independently checked 2026-08-15. High confidence. Result of that check: Corrected.

Notes: While photo and personal data are not legally required, they are commonly included in UAE CVs. Best practice emerging is to omit age/DOB to prevent age discrimination. Visa status important for expatriate hiring. Federal Labour Law prohibits discrimination but lacks specific CV content regulation. CV practices evolving toward Western standards in some sectors.

Researched with AI assistants working from a written checklist, then independently checked. How we researched this

4 sources we opened