Job search glossary - CareerMENA

A

Applicant tracking system (ATS) نظام تتبع المتقدمين (ATS) #

The software an employer uses to receive applications, store CVs and move candidates through each hiring stage. Several postings we have verified run on one: Oracle's recruiting cloud for First Abu Dhabi Bank and Emirates NBD, Greenhouse for Careem, Ashby for Lean Technologies. Our CV guide explains what this means for your file.

Official definition: Greenhouse Support: unsuccessful resume parse (opens in a new tab) · checked 4 October 2026

C

Closing date موعد الإغلاق #

The last day the employer accepts applications, as stated on its own posting. On CareerMENA a job's status changes to closed automatically when this date passes. See every dated job on our closing dates page.

Official definition: CareerMENA: Editorial Policy (opens in a new tab) · checked 4 October 2026

Consultancy (individual consultant) الاستشارة الفردية #

A contract for a specific piece of work rather than a staff post. UNFPA hires individual consultants on special service agreements and states that consultants, like interns and temporary staff, are not regular staff members and do not receive the full staff benefits package.

Official definition: UNFPA: job contract types (opens in a new tab) · checked 4 October 2026

CV parsing القراءة الآلية للسيرة الذاتية #

The ATS reads your uploaded CV and fills the application fields from it. Greenhouse documents that its parser fails on files over 2.5MB, on CVs uploaded as images, and on layouts with columns, text boxes, graphics, or contact details placed in headers and footers; the details then have to be typed in by hand.

Official definition: Greenhouse Support: unsuccessful resume parse (opens in a new tab) · checked 4 October 2026

E

Emiratisation التوطين في الإمارات #

The UAE's policy for employing citizens in the private sector. Under the rules published on u.ae, private establishments with 50 or more employees must raise Emiratisation by 2% a year in skilled jobs, toward a 10% increase by 2026.

Official definition: u.ae: Emiratis' employment in the private sector (opens in a new tab) · checked 4 October 2026

Employer-authorised listing إعلان بتفويض من جهة العمل #

A vacancy the employer has authorised us in writing to publish in full. Only these listings are marked up as job postings for search engines, and they pass the same four checks as every other listing.

Official definition: CareerMENA: Editorial Policy (opens in a new tab) · checked 4 October 2026

Entry level مستوى المبتدئين #

Jobs for people with little or no work experience after their studies, such as the graduate programmes and traineeships we list. See Entry level.

F

Family book (khulasat al-qaid) خلاصة القيد #

The UAE family registration document for Emirati citizens. Some programmes require it explicitly: First Abu Dhabi Bank's Management Trainee and Ethraa programmes ask for UAE nationals with a family book.

Official definition: FAB: Management Trainee Program posting (opens in a new tab) · checked 26 September 2026

Fixed-term contract عقد محدد المدة #

A contract with an end date. Under UAE labour law, as summarised on u.ae, the term may be extended or renewed for a similar or shorter period. See Contract jobs.

Official definition: u.ae: employment contracts in the private sector (opens in a new tab) · checked 4 October 2026

G

Grade (band) الدرجة الوظيفية #

The level of a job in an employer's pay and seniority scale. Postings sometimes give it instead of a salary: First Abu Dhabi Bank's Management Trainee posting gave "Grade C entry level". Jadarat lets public-sector employees apply for higher-grade public-sector jobs.

Official definition: FAB: Management Trainee Program posting (opens in a new tab) · checked 26 September 2026

Graduate programme برنامج الخريجين #

A structured entry route for recent graduates, run in cohorts; depending on the programme it combines paid work with training and rotations between departments. Entry rules are set per programme: First Abu Dhabi Bank's Management Trainee Program asks for a GPA of 3.7 and graduation between 2023 and 2026. Browse them under Graduate program.

Official definition: FAB: Management Trainee Program posting (opens in a new tab) · checked 4 October 2026

H

Hybrid work العمل الهجين #: The job splits time between the office and elsewhere. You still need to live within reach of the office. See Hybrid jobs.

I

Internship التدريب العملي (Internship) #

Short work experience. Some internships are for current students, others for recent graduates; check each posting for who may apply, pay and duration. UNFPA, for example, describes its internship programme as offering "a small group of outstanding students" direct exposure to its work, and does not count interns as staff members. See Internship.

Official definition: UNFPA: job contract types (opens in a new tab) · checked 4 October 2026

IRecruitment بوابة IRecruitment #

The UAE federal government's job portal, as named on the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation's careers page. You register there to find and apply for federal vacancies.

Official definition: MOHRE: careers (IRecruitment) (opens in a new tab) · checked 4 October 2026

J

Jadarat جدارات #

Saudi Arabia's Unified National Employment Platform, managed by HRDF, for government, semi-government and private-sector jobs. HRDF states that "the applicant must be a Saudi national" and that the advertised jobs are for Saudi citizens only. Our portals guide explains how it works.

Official definition: HRDF: Jadarat platform (opens in a new tab) · checked 4 October 2026

K

Kawader كوادر #

Qatar's National Employment Coordination Platform, run by the Civil Service and Government Development Bureau. It posts job opportunities in 54 government and semi-government entities and the private sector, according to a 2024 Shura Council report.

Official definition: Shura Council: CGB plans for national cadres (5 Feb 2024) (opens in a new tab) · checked 4 October 2026

M

Management trainee programme برنامج المتدربين الإداريين #

A graduate programme designed to prepare future managers. First Abu Dhabi Bank's version, open to UAE nationals, lasts 18 to 24 months according to its posting.

Official definition: FAB: Management Trainee Program posting (opens in a new tab) · checked 26 September 2026

N

Nafath نفاذ #

Saudi Arabia's national single sign-on. Jadarat users log in through the Nafath portal with their national ID and password, and some profile data is filled in automatically from it.

Official definition: HRDF: Jadarat platform (opens in a new tab) · checked 4 October 2026

Nafis نافس #

The UAE's Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council, a federal programme that, as u.ae puts it, supports Emiratis in the private sector. It is aimed at UAE nationals.

Official definition: u.ae: Emiratisation (opens in a new tab) · checked 4 October 2026

National Professional Officer (NO) الموظف الفني الوطني (NO) #

A UN professional post that needs knowledge and experience at the national level. UNFPA describes NO roles as similar to Professional roles "but they are normally locally recruited".

Official definition: UNFPA: job contract types (opens in a new tab) · checked 4 October 2026

Nationalisation (localisation) التوطين #

Government policy that requires or rewards employers for hiring citizens. Each GCC country runs its own version (Emiratisation, Saudisation, Qatarisation), which is why some Gulf jobs say "nationals only". We quote such rules exactly as the employer writes them.

Official definition: u.ae: Emiratis' employment in the private sector (opens in a new tab) · checked 4 October 2026

Nitaqat نطاقات #

The Saudi ministry's programme that, in its own words, aims "to stimulate private sector establishments to localize jobs and ensure the continuity of work for Saudis in the labor market", with Saudisation targets set for employers.

Official definition: MHRSD: upgraded Nitaqat programme (opens in a new tab) · checked 4 October 2026

No objection certificate (NOC) شهادة عدم ممانعة #

A letter in which a current employer, sponsor or authority states it does not object to something, such as you taking another job. Whether one is needed depends on the country, your visa and your contract, so check with the employer or the official authority.

O

Open to nationals of متاحة لمواطني #

Our label for whose nationals the employer accepts. We copy the employer's own rule and never widen it. Filter by nationality, for example jobs for Saudi nationals or jobs open to all nationalities.

Official definition: CareerMENA: About (opens in a new tab) · checked 4 October 2026

Open until filled (rolling) مفتوحة حتى شغل الوظيفة #

A job with no published closing date: the employer takes applications until it hires. We re-check these jobs on the employer's site at least every 7 days and close them automatically when nobody has re-confirmed them for 45 days.

Official definition: CareerMENA: Editorial Policy (opens in a new tab) · checked 4 October 2026

P

Posting end date تاريخ انتهاء نشر الإعلان #

The date a recruiting system is set to take an advert down. It is not always the real deadline: some systems fill it in by default, and a time stored in UTC can fall on the next day in the Gulf. We use it as a closing date only when nothing else on the posting contradicts it, and say so in the record.

Probation period فترة التجربة #

The first months of a job, during which either side can end the contract more easily. In the UAE private sector, u.ae states that probation "must not exceed six months", and an employer ending it must give 14 days' written notice.

Official definition: u.ae: employment contracts in the private sector (opens in a new tab) · checked 4 October 2026

Q

Qatarisation التقطير #

Qatar's policy of employing Qatari citizens. The Civil Service and Government Development Bureau reports on it as "replacement and nationalization policies" and recruits through the Kawader platform.

Official definition: Shura Council: CGB plans for national cadres (5 Feb 2024) (opens in a new tab) · checked 4 October 2026

R

Relocation support دعم الانتقال #: Help the employer gives you to move for the job, such as a flight, temporary housing or a relocation allowance. We show it only when the posting states it, in the posting's words.
Remote work العمل عن بُعد #: The job can be done away from the employer's office. Check the posting for any condition on the country you live in or the hours you work. See Remote jobs.

S

Saudisation السعودة #

Saudi Arabia's policy of localising private-sector jobs for Saudi citizens, applied through the Nitaqat programme of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.

Official definition: MHRSD: upgraded Nitaqat programme (opens in a new tab) · checked 4 October 2026

T

Traineeship (on-the-job training) برنامج التدريب على رأس العمل #

Paid or stipended training inside a workplace, aimed at people who have finished their studies. Saudi Arabia's Tamheer, run by HRDF, places Saudi graduates aged 30 or under in opportunities of 3 to 6 months with a monthly stipend of SAR 3,000. See Traineeship.

Official definition: HRDF: Graduate Development (Tamheer) (opens in a new tab) · checked 4 October 2026

U

UN General Service (G) فئة الخدمات العامة في الأمم المتحدة (G) #

UN support roles, from administrative and clerical work to specialised posts. The ICSC states that General Service staff are "recruited and paid on a local basis", so check that you are able to work in the duty-station country before you apply.

Official definition: ICSC: how staff are categorised in the UN common system (opens in a new tab) · checked 4 October 2026

UN Professional grades (P and D) الفئة الفنية في الأمم المتحدة (P وD) #

UN posts for substantive and managerial work that need a university or professional background. The ICSC describes them as internationally recruited; P is the professional scale and D the director scale.

Official definition: ICSC: how staff are categorised in the UN common system (opens in a new tab) · checked 4 October 2026

V

Visa sponsorship توفير تأشيرة العمل #: The employer applies for, and pays for, the work visa or residence permit you need for the job. If a posting does not say, our record shows "Not stated by the employer": ask the employer before you assume either way.