For a Bangladeshi worker, the road to the Gulf usually runs through Saudi Arabia. That has been true for years, and 2025 made it even more so. But the market tightened in 2025-26, which means a well-prepared CV matters more than it did when visas were easier to come by. This guide shows what the latest numbers say and how to present yourself so an agency in Dhaka and an employer in Riyadh both want to take your file forward.
A record year, then a slowdown
Data from the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) showed more than 750,000 Bangladeshis went to Saudi Arabia for work in 2025, the largest number ever sent to a single country, and up 16 percent on about 628,000 in 2024. Saudi Arabia alone took more than two-thirds of the over 1.1 million Bangladeshis who went abroad that year (Arab News). Qatar received 107,472, Kuwait 72,717 and Singapore 70,056, according to a BMET official.
The following fiscal year was weaker. BMET reported a little over 969,000 overseas departures in fiscal 2025-26, around 5 percent fewer than the year before and the lowest in five years, as uncertainty in the Middle East reduced demand (Asia News Network). Analysts have also warned about Bangladesh's heavy reliance on the Saudi market while other destinations shrink (The Business Standard).
Two lessons follow. First, Saudi employers remain your largest audience, so shape your CV for them. Second, with fewer openings, the candidates who are easiest to verify and place get picked first.
Registration before anything else
Bangladeshi workers going abroad for employment register with BMET and obtain emigration clearance before departure, usually with the help of a licensed recruiting agency. Keep copies of your BMET registration and training certificates; agencies often ask for them alongside your passport. A CV cannot replace this paperwork, and no genuine employer will ask you to skip it.
The five facts that decide a shortlist
When an agency sorts a stack of applications against a Saudi demand letter, it checks:
- Job title matching the demand letter ("Mason", "Cleaner", "Pipe Fitter", "Cook").
- Experience in years, and whether any was in the Gulf.
- Passport validity, written as month and year.
- Training certificate, for example from a BMET Technical Training Centre or another recognised institute.
- Age, because many demand letters set limits.
Put all five in the top quarter of your CV so nobody has to search for them.
Section guide
Name and contact. Full name as in the passport, mobile and WhatsApp, district.
Profile line. One sentence: "Mason with 6 years' experience in block work and plastering, including 2 years in Riyadh; passport valid to 2030."
Work history. Employer, place, dates and two practical lines per job: what you built, repaired, cleaned, cooked or drove, and how much. "Laid around 300 blocks a day on a five-storey residential project" tells an employer far more than "worked as mason".
Training. Course name, institute, year and duration.
Skills and tools. Name the machines and tools you can use safely.
Languages. Bangla, plus any Arabic, Hindi-Urdu or English you speak. Many supervisors on Saudi sites communicate in Hindi-Urdu or Arabic, so even basic ability is worth stating.
Looking beyond Saudi Arabia
Because so much Bangladeshi migration depends on one market, it is sensible to keep a second version of your CV ready for other destinations. Qatar and Kuwait both took tens of thousands of Bangladeshi workers in 2025. Employers there often want the same basic facts, but small details differ:
- Qatar employers on construction and facilities projects frequently ask about high-rise or industrial site experience, so name the type of project.
- Kuwait employers for cleaning, catering and maintenance contracts often care about how long you stayed with past employers. Show your longest job clearly.
- For any destination, list the countries where you have already worked, with years, on the first line.
Keeping two tailored versions takes an extra ten minutes and means you can respond the same day when an agency calls about a non-Saudi demand letter. In a slower market, speed of response often decides who gets the place.
Office and skilled professionals
Nurses, engineers, accountants and IT workers from Bangladesh should add a short summary, list licences and software, and show measurable results. Saudi health and engineering employers verify qualifications, so write the degree, institution and year exactly as on the certificate.
Avoiding common problems
- Different spellings of your name on the CV and the passport. Use the passport spelling everywhere.
- Copying a friend's CV and changing only the name. Agencies recognise template CVs immediately.
- Listing a trade you have never practised because a visa is available. Trade tests expose it, and it wastes your registration fees.
- Phone numbers that do not work. Check every digit.
- Paying anyone who promises a visa without a written contract and an official receipt.
Trade tests and interviews
Many Saudi employers test skills before selection. Masons may be asked to lay a short wall, electricians to wire a board, drivers to complete a road test. Practise beforehand, bring originals of your certificates, and arrive early. Answer questions simply and honestly about your experience.
Frequently asked questions
How many Bangladeshis went to Saudi Arabia in 2025?
BMET data showed more than 750,000, a record for any single destination and about two-thirds of all overseas departures that year.
Did overseas jobs fall in 2025-26?
Yes. BMET reported just over 969,000 departures in fiscal 2025-26, about 5 percent lower than the previous year and a five-year low.
Which other Gulf countries hire many Bangladeshis?
Qatar and Kuwait. A BMET official reported 107,472 workers to Qatar and 72,717 to Kuwait in 2025.
Should I write my CV in Bangla?
No. Use English, and add Arabic if a Saudi employer asks for it.
What should I put at the top of my CV?
Your trade, years of experience, any Gulf experience, passport validity and training certificate.
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The Resume Arab CV builder arranges these facts in the order agencies look for, in English or Arabic. Before you sign, compare the offered pay with typical ranges using our salary check tool.
Sources last checked: October 2026.