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Cover Letters · 19 May 2026 · 5 min read

Cover Letter Mistakes That Sink Gulf Job Applications

A weak cover letter is worse than no cover letter. Here is what to remove and what to write instead.

If a cover letter is requested, send one. If it is not requested, send one anyway when you have a genuine angle. But only if it adds something your CV cannot.

What to remove

  • "Please find attached my CV for your kind perusal." Cut.
  • Repeating your CV bullets in paragraph form.
  • Generic statements about being a hard worker or team player.
  • Three pages of life story.

What to write instead

  1. One line on why this employer specifically.
  2. Two or three sentences on the most relevant outcome you have delivered.
  3. One line on what you would prioritise in the first 90 days.
  4. A clear close with availability.

Tone for the Gulf

Confident but respectful. Avoid hard-sell American phrasing and avoid overly humble British understatement. A clean, direct, professional tone wins across UAE, KSA, and Qatar.

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