Hello Trilogygirls,
I understand you are from Ireland, right? Have you re-written your CV in the Middle East format? This is a major aspect that people forget to do. Consider this. You know that you are very good at whatever you do. That you've got excellent skills, education and the necessary experience to get a good job. However, if your CV is not tuned in the way that is acceptable in this part of the world, then how would the recruiter know you are so good. FYI, a CV here is very different from the one popular in Europe. It is not necessarily a 1 or 2 page document. It can stretch to even 4 pages.
Just my 2 cents,
All The Best!
Shabbir Kagalwala