Executive search in Saudi Arabia has changed shape under Vision 2030. Multinationals licensing a regional headquarters in Riyadh need country heads and functional leaders, PIF's giga-projects (NEOM, Red Sea Global, Qiddiya, ROSHN and Diriyah) need executives who have delivered at scale, and family groups in Jeddah and industrial employers in Dammam and Al Khobar are bringing in outside leadership. Most of that work reaches clients in English, and a growing share is wanted in Arabic too.
This guide covers the software Saudi-based search firms, and international firms running Saudi mandates, use to turn CVs and interview notes into client documents. We make Formatix AI; for the other tools we used what each vendor publishes and say where each fits better.
| Tool | Best for | Output formats | Notable integrations | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formatix AI | Saudi board, PIF and RHQ mandates that need more than a CV | Word, PowerPoint, Excel, PDF | JobAdder, API, email, ChatGPT/Claude via MCP | From SAR 95/month for 20 credits, charged in Saudi riyals; 10 free credits |
| Ezekia | CRM, business development and client reports in one platform | PDF, Word, Excel and PowerPoint report exports | Microsoft 365, Zapier, OpenAI, Claude | Per user per month, by quote; 30-day free trial |
| Thrive TRM | Search management with a branded client portal | Branded Search Summary Report sent by email; client portal | Not listed on the pages we checked | Not published |
| DaXtra | Parsing large CV volumes into structured data | Structured candidate data (152 fields) | Runs inside the firm's existing ATS | Not published; demo on request |
| HireAra | Branded agency CVs and executive one-pagers | Formatted profiles, one-pagers, spec CVs, cover sheets, candidate websites | Access CRM, Bullhorn, Vincere, JobAdder, Salesforce, Mercury | Starter £180/month + VAT; no free trial |
1. Formatix AI
Best for: firms presenting to Saudi boards, PIF-backed companies and newly licensed regional headquarters
Formatix AI, a London company, writes the CV, your interview notes and the assessment data you hold into the report, deck or tracker your firm already uses, in Word, PowerPoint, Excel or PDF. It reads CVs in more than 40 languages, Arabic among them, so an Arabic CV from a Jeddah family group can go straight into your English report.
It does not assess candidates or administer, score or interpret psychometric tests. Data is processed in the UK and EU under GDPR and never used to train AI models; for a controller in the Kingdom that is a transfer abroad, so review it against the PDPL Transfer Regulations first.
- Assessment reports in your house style with the Hogan, SHL, Saville or DISC results you already hold; not affiliated with those publishers.
- Board and CEO reports, and blind profiles when an incumbent is being replaced quietly.
- Shortlist decks with a matching Excel tracker from your own template, with the fields you and the client agree, nationality included for Nitaqat planning.
- Succession packs, 9-box grids, longlists and market maps.
- Arabic CVs read into English templates. We do not claim right-to-left Arabic output; test a sample in your Arabic template first.
- Browser, email, API, JobAdder, and ChatGPT or Claude via MCP. No Ezekia or Thrive connector is listed; check with Formatix.
Less suited to: firms wanting CRM and reporting in one system, a supplier with staff in the Kingdom, or processing inside Saudi Arabia.
2. Ezekia
Best for: firms that want CRM, business development and client reporting on one platform
Ezekia is a London-built CRM and ATS for executive search. Candidate reports come straight from the search record, export to PDF, Word, Excel or PowerPoint, and can be tailored per client. For a Riyadh office sending weekly updates to an RHQ client, the report stays next to the data.
Pricing is per user per month, by quote, with no annual commitment; the 30-day trial needs no card. Its reporting page does not mention Arabic, so test an Arabic CV during the trial.
Less suited to: firms staying on another CRM, and assessment reports that carry third-party psychometric results, which its reporting page does not describe.
3. Thrive TRM
Best for: search teams that want a branded client portal around each assignment
Thrive is a talent relationship management system and ATS used by executive search firms, in-house executive hiring teams and private equity and venture capital firms, covering relationship mapping, sourcing, search management with stack ranking, and reporting.
Clients use a portal carrying the firm's logo, and a branded Search Summary Report can be built from chosen fields and emailed, which suits a Saudi nomination committee following a search between meetings. Pricing is not published.
Less suited to: full candidate reports, board papers or decks in your own Word or PowerPoint design, which Thrive does not describe.
4. DaXtra
Best for: firms loading large CV volumes into a searchable database
DaXtra builds CV parsing, search and matching, AI ranking and engagement tools for staffing and executive search firms. Its parser extracts 152 fields from CVs in more than 40 languages inside the firm's existing ATS; Spencer Stuart and Heidrick & Struggles are among the logos on its site.
It does not say whether Arabic is one of those languages, so send test CVs. Pricing is not published.
Less suited to: the client document itself. DaXtra produces structured data, not branded reports, decks or trackers.
5. HireAra
Best for: contingent desks that want branded CVs and one-pagers from their CRM
HireAra, part of The Access Group, turns CVs into formatted profiles, executive one-pagers, spec CVs, cover sheets and candidate websites, and connects to Access CRM, Bullhorn, Vincere, JobAdder, Salesforce, Mercury and others.
Starter is £180 a month plus VAT for unlimited users and 1,500 candidates a year, with no free trial. Its sign-in options list UK, EU, USA and APAC regions, so ask where a Saudi office's data would be hosted.
Less suited to: assessment reports, nomination papers and succession packs, which are not among its listed content types.
- CRM and client reports in one place: Ezekia, or Thrive if a branded client portal matters more than document exports.
- Thousands of CVs to load into a searchable database: DaXtra.
- A contingent desk wanting branded CVs from Bullhorn, Vincere or JobAdder: HireAra.
- Assessment reports, board papers, shortlist decks with trackers or succession packs for Saudi boards, PIF-backed companies or RHQ clients: Formatix AI.
- Whoever you choose, ask where CVs are processed and how transfers outside the Kingdom are handled under the PDPL.
Which CV formatting software do executive search firms in Riyadh use?
There is no single standard. Firms that run everything in a search CRM use its reports, Ezekia and Thrive among them; contingent desks often use HireAra with Bullhorn, Vincere or JobAdder. For assessment reports, board papers, blind profiles, shortlist decks and succession packs in your own template, Formatix AI.
Does the Saudi PDPL allow CVs to be processed outside the Kingdom?
The Personal Data Protection Law (Royal Decree M/19 of 9/2/1443H, amended by Royal Decree M/148), enforced by SDAIA, allows transfers outside the Kingdom under its Transfer Regulations: to countries with adequate protection, or with safeguards such as SDAIA's standard contractual clauses, sometimes after a risk assessment. Formatix AI processes data in the UK and EU under GDPR, so using it from Saudi Arabia is a transfer; ask every vendor. This is not legal advice.
Can a shortlist show Saudi nationals for Nitaqat purposes?
Nitaqat, run by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, classifies private employers by how far they have localised jobs for Saudi nationals, so clients often want nationality on a shortlist. Formatix AI fills your own deck and tracker, so they carry the fields you agree.
What do the RHQ licence rules mean for executive hiring?
Ministry of Investment rules require a regional headquarters to employ at least 15 full-time staff within a year of registration, at least three at executive director or vice-president level. MISA reported more than 750 companies in the programme in August 2026. Formatix AI produces the board reports and shortlist decks for that work in your template.
Can we produce candidate reports from Arabic CVs?
Yes. Formatix AI reads CVs in Arabic, English and over 40 other languages and writes them into your template. If a client also wants an Arabic version, test a sample in your Arabic template first; we do not claim right-to-left layout.
How much does it cost, and is it priced in riyals?
Yes. Formatix AI is charged in Saudi riyals at checkout: plans start at SAR 95 a month for 20 credits, and new accounts get 10 free credits with no card, valid for 14 days. HireAra Starter is £180 a month plus VAT. Ezekia quotes per user per month after a 30-day trial. Thrive and DaXtra do not publish prices.
We checked the other vendors' details on their own websites on 9 October 2026; they may change. Programme and legal points come from MISA, MHRSD, PIF and SDAIA publications and are for orientation, not legal advice. Trademarks belong to their owners. Corrections to [email protected], please.
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