Many roles in the UAE are filled without a public job ad. A short, clear email to the right company can put you in front of a hiring manager before the role is ever posted. Here's how to write one that gets opened and read.
1. Find the right address
Use the address the company publishes: a careers or HR address on its website if there is one, otherwise its general contact address. Avoid guessing addresses or using downloaded lists. They often bounce, and that can push your future emails into spam: why HR email lists often fail.
2. Write a subject line that says it all
The subject decides whether your email is opened. Make it specific: the role, your experience, and where you are.
- Application: Accountant, 7 years' UAE VAT and IFRS experience
- Sales Executive with FMCG experience, based in Dubai, available now
- Registered Nurse (DHA licensed), application for open roles
Avoid "CV", "Job application" or "Looking for a job" on their own. They look like hundreds of other emails.
3. Keep the email short
Four short paragraphs are enough. The person reading it may have dozens to get through.
- Who you are and what you want. One or two sentences.
- Why you fit. Two or three specific results, with numbers where you can.
- Practical details. Where you're based, your visa status and when you can start. In the UAE, this saves everyone a step.
- A polite close. Say your CV is attached and how to reach you.
A sample email
Subject: Application: Accountant, 7 years' UAE VAT and IFRS experience
Dear Hiring Team at Al Noor Trading,
I'm a chartered accountant with seven years' experience in IFRS reporting and UAE VAT, and I'd like to be considered for any finance roles at Al Noor Trading.
In my current role I prepare monthly management accounts for three entities and handle quarterly VAT returns. Last year I cut the month-end close from ten days to six.
I'm based in Dubai on a residence visa and can start with one month's notice.
My CV is attached. Thank you for your time; I'd be glad to talk whenever suits you.
Kind regards, Priya Sharma +971 50 123 4567
The company and the person are examples. Looking for finance roles right now? See live finance and accounts jobs from UAE companies' own careers pages.
4. Attach your CV the right way
- PDF, so it looks the same on every screen.
- A clear file name: Priya-Sharma-Accountant-CV.pdf, not CV-final-2.pdf.
- Your contact details on the CV match the ones in your email.
- Under 5 MB, so it isn't blocked.
5. Send it at a good time
Send on working days, during office hours UAE time. A few emails a day, each one written for that company, look like a person applying, because that's what they are. Sending the same email to hundreds of companies at once is the fastest way into spam folders.
6. When a company replies
Answer the same day if you can, even if it's only to thank them and confirm a time. A quick, polite reply makes a strong first impression. Keep track of who replied and when; it's easy to lose a thread when you're writing to many companies.
Common mistakes
- Sending one email to many companies with all the addresses visible.
- Writing "Dear Sir/Madam" to a company whose name you know: use the company's name.
- Long emails that repeat the whole CV.
- A CV with a different phone number or email from the one you're writing from.
- Forgetting to check your Spam folder for replies.
Doing this for hundreds of companies
Writing a good email for each company takes time. UAE Direct Apply does it for you, the same way:
- A personal email for each company, written from your CV for the role you want. You can read and change it before anything is sent.
- From your own Gmail, with send-only permission, so replies come straight to your inbox.
- Spread over working hours, one company at a time, each company once.
- Companies' own published addresses, with an easy way for them to opt out.
- A Sent page to mark replies, interviews and offers, with notes and dates.
Wondering how this compares with paying a service to send your CV? Read CV distribution in the UAE: what to check. Your first 100 emails are free, with no card needed.