Mahmoud Saleh
Senior accountant with 8 years of experience, 5 of them in Kuwait, covering general ledger, month-end closing, IFRS reporting and audit support for trading and contracting companies. Experienced with Oracle and Microsoft Dynamics, Arabic/English reporting, and coordinating with external auditors and banks.
- Lead month-end and year-end closing for 3 group entities under IFRS
- Cut monthly closing from 12 to 7 working days by standardising journals and reconciliations
- Prepare audit schedules and coordinate the annual external audit with no material findings
- Manage bank facilities, letters of credit and letters of guarantee with 4 local banks
- Supervise 2 accountants and review supplier payments before approval
- Handled project cost allocation for 15+ contracting projects
- Reconciled subcontractor accounts and retention balances monthly
- Prepared payroll inputs for 200+ staff in coordination with HR
- Built Excel dashboards for project profitability used by management
- Degree attested for use in Kuwait
IFRS reporting • General ledger • Month-end closing • Bank reconciliation • Accounts payable & receivable • Letters of guarantee • Oracle Financials • Microsoft Dynamics 365 • Advanced Excel • Audit coordination • Cost control
Arabic (Native) • English (Professional working proficiency)
Nationality: Egyptian • Visa Status: Valid work residence (Article 18), transferable • Driving License: Kuwaiti driving license • Marital Status: Married
The accountant job market in Kuwait
Accounting jobs in Kuwait cluster in Kuwait City, Shuwaikh, Hawalli, Salmiya and Farwaniya, with Ahmadi and Fahaheel for oil-related companies. The main employers are general trading companies and family groups, contractors, retail and F&B groups, investment and real-estate companies, and audit firms. Banks, telecoms and the oil sector also hire, usually through online portals with stronger competition.
What Kuwaiti hiring managers look for:
- Kuwait or Gulf experience: knowing how local banks, letters of credit and letters of guarantee work matters a lot in trading and contracting.
- IFRS: companies in Kuwait report under international standards, so say so clearly.
- Systems: Oracle, SAP and Microsoft Dynamics in larger firms; Tally, QuickBooks or local software in smaller ones.
- Project and cost accounting: contractors want people who understand project costing, progress billing and retentions.
- Residence: family-owned companies often prefer candidates with a transferable residence who can start soon.
Government bodies and banks follow Kuwaitization policies that prioritise nationals, so the private sector is the wider market for expatriates. See also the general accountant CV page and the Kuwait CV guide.
Licensing and certifications
A regular accountant does not need a licence in Kuwait, but these come up often:
- Degree attestation: many employers, and sometimes the residence process itself, ask for a degree attested in your home country, by the Kuwaiti embassy and by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and sometimes an equivalency from the Ministry of Higher Education. Ask the employer exactly what they need.
- Job title on the residence: the title on your residence can matter for a transfer, so check it fits the role.
- Audit practice: signing audit reports as a licensed auditor requires a separate licence with specific conditions; check with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the relevant professional body.
- Professional certificates: CMA, ACCA, CPA and CIA are well recognised. Write "In progress" if you are still studying, and never list one you do not hold.
Procedures change, so always verify with the official authority before relying on any of this.
Keywords from accountant job ads in Kuwait
Use only the terms that truly describe your experience. Have a specific job ad? Match your CV to it →
Experience bullet examples
Edit them with your real numbers and never claim results you did not achieve.
- Prepared monthly and annual IFRS financial statements for a Kuwaiti trading group with 3 legal entities
- Coordinated the annual external audit and delivered all audit schedules on time with no material adjustments
- Managed letters of credit and letters of guarantee with local banks for import and contracting activities
- Reconciled subcontractor accounts, advances and retention balances on government and private projects
- Reduced month-end closing time by 40% by standardising recurring journals in Oracle
- Prepared supporting schedules for Zakat and National Labour Support Tax calculations with the tax advisor
- Controlled petty cash and expense claims across 6 retail branches in Hawalli and Farwaniya
- Built Excel cost reports in Arabic and English for management and board meetings
Tips for a accountant CV in Kuwait
1. Put residence at the top
Add a line like Residence: Valid work residence (Article 18), transferable. It is the first question for an expatriate accountant, and leaving it out can push your CV to the bottom of the pile.
2. Show banking and trade finance
If you handled letters of credit, letters of guarantee or bank facilities, give it its own bullet. Kuwaiti trading and contracting companies value it highly.
3. Name your systems
Oracle, Dynamics, SAP or Tally. Kuwaiti ads often ask for a specific system, and ATS filters match the exact name.
4. Use numbers from real work
Entities closed, closing days, projects or branches covered. Numbers make a short CV look strong in a one-minute read.
5. Keep it to two pages
Family businesses read fast. Start in the <a href="/en/?country=kuwait&job=accountant#start">CV builder</a> with the Executive template, then score it in the <a href="/en/cv-checker/">CV checker</a>.
CV norms in Kuwait
| Photo | ◐ | Very common in Kuwait, and some ads ask for it. |
|---|---|---|
| Nationality | ✓ | Almost always included, as it affects residency procedures and Kuwaitization. |
| Usual length | ⓘ | One to two pages. Kuwaiti employers prefer tidy, concise CVs. |
| Language | ⓘ | English in the private sector; Arabic is more often required in government and customer service. |
Full CV guide for Kuwait → · General accountant CV example →
FAQ
Should I state my residence type on an accountant CV for Kuwait?
Yes, it is strongly recommended. State the type (work or family-sponsored) and whether it is transferable. Do not include your Civil ID number; it is not needed and risks your privacy.
Do I need CMA or ACCA?
Not for most roles, but it helps for mid and senior positions. If you are studying, write In progress, and never list a certificate you do not hold.
Arabic or English CV?
English is the default in medium and large companies. If an employer asks for Arabic, prepare a version with the <a href="/en/cv-translator/">CV translator</a> and review it yourself.
I have no Kuwait experience. What should I do?
Highlight Gulf experience or work similar to Kuwaiti companies: trading, contracting, imports. State IFRS and your systems clearly, and compare your CV with the ad in the <a href="/en/job-match/">job matcher</a>.
Should I add a photo?
It is optional. Some Kuwaiti employers like one; if you add it, keep it professional with a plain background and use the Photo template.
Same job in other countries
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