How to Write a CV in Palestine: Format & Guide 2026

Palestine's formal labour market operates across the West Bank, primarily through the Palestinian Authority (PA) civil service, the UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency), a growing private sector centred in Ramallah, and international development organisations. Writing a competitive Palestinian CV requires presenting credentials clearly in a market where both Arabic- and English-language applications are common, professional qualifications carry significant weight, and the ability to demonstrate impact under constrained conditions is genuinely valued by international employers.

The Palestine CV Format

The document is called a CV or curriculum vitae. Two pages is the standard for most candidates; senior professionals and those with substantial project portfolios may extend to three pages. The reverse-chronological format is the norm in both private and public sectors. Arabic is used for government and PA applications; English is expected for NGOs, international organisations, and private companies operating with international clients. Many professionals maintain two versions.

Personal Information

A standard Palestinian CV includes full name, date and place of birth, nationality, ID number (for PA applications, the Palestinian ID or Jerusalem ID as applicable), marital status, residential address (city and camp or neighbourhood), phone, and email. A professional photo is standard in Arabic-language CVs and common in English-language CVs as well.

For UNRWA applications, refugee registration status and camp of origin are sometimes relevant to specific programme eligibility criteria.

Education

List qualifications in reverse chronological order. Major Palestinian universities include Birzeit University (near Ramallah), the most prestigious and research-active institution, An-Najah National University (Nablus), Al-Quds University (Abu Dis, serving Jerusalem), Bethlehem University (a De La Salle Brothers institution), and Palestine Polytechnic University (Hebron). For Gaza, the Islamic University of Gaza (IUG) and Al-Azhar University Gaza are the principal institutions, though access to degrees from Gaza is subject to movement restrictions that employers in the West Bank are accustomed to handling.

Include degree title, institution, year of completion, and GPA or percentage. A GPA on a 4.0 scale is standard at most Palestinian universities. Degrees from Jordan, Egypt, and Turkey are common among Palestinian graduates and are well recognised in the domestic market.

Work Experience

List roles in reverse chronological order with job title, employer, dates, and 3-5 bullet points that demonstrate specific contributions. Palestinian CVs for development sector roles should explicitly name the donor, project title, and geographic coverage of each assignment, since international funders and recruiters evaluate programme experience by scale and donor.

Employers that carry credibility in the Palestinian market include the Palestinian Authority (PA) ministries, UNRWA, UNDP Palestine, World Bank Palestine, Welfare Association, ANERA (American Near East Refugee Aid), Médecins du Monde, Mercy Corps Palestine, Bank of Palestine, Cairo Amman Bank, PalTel (Palestine Telecommunications Company), and Jawwal (the mobile operator).

Skills, Languages, and Certifications

Arabic and English are the two professional working languages. French is an asset with French-funded development organisations. Hebrew proficiency is occasionally useful for roles involving coordination with Israeli authorities, though it is not listed on most CVs.

Valued certifications include ACCA or CPA for finance, PMP for project management, CIPS for procurement, and SPHERE and CALP (Cash and Voucher Assistance Learning Programme) certifications for humanitarian professionals. IT certifications including Microsoft, CISCO, and Oracle are valued in the growing Ramallah tech sector.

Key Sectors and Employers

The Palestinian Authority is the largest formal employer. The development and humanitarian sector is extensive: UNRWA alone employs over 28,000 Palestinians across education, health, and relief services. International NGOs funded by USAID, the EU, DFID/FCDO, and UN agencies maintain a substantial professional workforce.

The private sector is concentrated in Ramallah and includes banking and financial services (Bank of Palestine, Arab Bank Palestine, Palestine Islamic Bank), ICT (PalTel, Jawwal, Exalt Technologies), and agri-food (Canaan Fair Trade, Sunbula). The Palestinian IT sector has developed a reputation for high-quality software outsourcing, with firms including Q-Soft, ASERD, and Exalt Technologies serving international clients.

Declaration of Authenticity

A declaration is standard at the end of Palestinian CVs for government and NGO applications: "I declare that the information contained in this CV is accurate to the best of my knowledge." Add date, location, and signature.

Cover Letter

A cover letter (or motivation letter) is expected for NGO, UN, and international development applications. One page: why you want this specific role at this specific organisation, your most relevant experience, and your availability. For UN positions, the motivation letter is a mandatory part of the online application form.

Common CV Mistakes in Palestine

• No donor or project reference in development CVs: International evaluators assess experience by programme name, donor, and scale. Generic employer names without project context lose value.
• Mixing Arabic and English inconsistently: Choose one language per document and maintain it throughout. Switching languages mid-CV creates a poor impression.
• No CGPA or academic results: Palestinian employers and international organisations routinely filter on academic performance, particularly for early-career roles.
• Overly long CVs with duplicated content: Listing the same skills or responsibilities across multiple roles without differentiation wastes evaluator time.
• No mention of movement or access situation context: For international evaluators, noting geographic coverage (e.g. "West Bank and East Jerusalem") in project descriptions provides essential context.
• Generic cover letters for UN applications: UN agencies and major INGOs receive hundreds of applications. A letter that does not reference the specific programme or mandate of the organisation is screened out quickly.