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Interview Reschedule Email Template

How do you move an interview without losing the candidate?

Move an interview without losing the candidate. Say whether you need to change the time or the candidate asked, offer two or three new slots with the time zone, and get a polite reschedule email in English, Arabic or both — with an apology when the change is on your side.

How the reschedule email works

A reschedule email does three jobs: acknowledges the change, makes picking a new time effortless, and keeps the candidate's goodwill. When you are the one moving the interview, the email apologises and can give a short reason; when the candidate asked, it thanks them and keeps the tone easy. Offering two or three specific slots, all in one stated time zone, settles the new time in a single reply instead of a long back-and-forth. A confirm-by date tells you when to release the slots you are holding.

Slot: A specific date and start time you can offer for the interview.
Confirm-by date: When you need the candidate's choice, so you can release the other slots.
GST / AST: UTC+4 in the UAE and Oman; UTC+3 in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain.

Before you send it

Hold the slots you offer in every interviewer's calendar until the candidate replies — offering a time that then disappears costs more goodwill than the original change.
If you reschedule more than once, call the candidate as well as emailing. Repeated changes are a common reason strong candidates withdraw.
Keep the reason short and honest, or leave it out. Don't share internal details about other candidates or budget approvals.
For a fully Arabic email, type the names and dates in Arabic — the template keeps exactly what you enter.

Related interview tools

Sending the first invite? Use the interview invitation email. Get the panel ready with the interview kit builder and the interview scorecard template, or run a quick first call with the phone screen script.

Frequently asked questions

How do I reschedule an interview politely?

Tell the candidate as early as possible, apologise briefly, give a short reason if you can, and offer two or three specific new times in one stated time zone. Ask them to reply by a set date and give a contact number. That keeps the change to one exchange and shows you value their time.

Should I give a reason for rescheduling an interview?

A short, honest reason helps — for example, the hiring manager has to travel. It is not required, and you should never share confidential details. What matters more to the candidate is a quick apology and good alternative times.

How many new time slots should I offer?

Two or three. One slot forces a yes or no and often leads to more emails; more than three makes it hard to hold them all in interviewers' calendars. Spread them across different days and times of day.

What if the candidate asks to reschedule?

Treat it as normal — candidates are often still working and may have little notice of meetings. Thank them for letting you know and offer new times. One request is no cause for concern; repeated last-minute changes may be worth a conversation.

Which days and times work best for rescheduled interviews in the Gulf?

Check the candidate's working week: most UAE employers have a Saturday–Sunday weekend, while Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman have Friday–Saturday. Avoid Friday midday prayer time, and during Ramadan offer earlier slots because working hours are shorter. Always state the time zone, as the UAE and Saudi Arabia are an hour apart.

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Interview Reschedule Email Template

How do you move an interview without losing the candidate?

Step 1 · Who is rescheduling1/2

Who is rescheduling?

We need to move itCandidate asked

Reason (optional, one short sentence)

Step 2 · Candidate & original interview0/4

Candidate name

Job title

Company name

Original date and time

Step 3 · New time options2/6

New option 1

New option 2

New option 3 (optional)

Time zone

UAE and Oman: GST (UTC+4). Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain: AST (UTC+3).

Format, place and interviewers stay the same

Confirm by

Step 4 · Your contact details0/3

Your name

Your job title

Contact phone

EnglishالعربيةBoth

INTERVIEW RESCHEDULE

Subject: Change to your interview time — [Job title] (to fill in) at [Company name] (to fill in)

Dear [Candidate name] (to fill in),

I'm sorry, but we need to move your interview for the [Job title] (to fill in) role at [Company name] (to fill in), which was planned for [Original date and time] (to fill in). I apologise for the inconvenience, and thank you for your flexibility.

Please choose one of these new times (all times GST (UTC+4)): 1. [New option 1] (to fill in) 2. [New option 2] (to fill in)

Everything else stays the same — the format, the place or link and the people you'll meet.

Please reply by [Confirm by] (to fill in) with the time that suits you. If none of these work, send us two or three times that do and we will do our best to match one.

If you have any questions, contact me on [Contact phone] (to fill in).

Kind regards, [Your name] (to fill in) [Your job title] (to fill in) [Company name] (to fill in)

Send from your company email. Check every date, time and time zone before sending, and hold the slots in your calendar until the candidate replies.

10 fields still show as [highlighted placeholders] — fill them in or edit after copying.

Get this reschedule email in English and Arabic in your inbox to reuse next time.

How the reschedule email works

Slot: A specific date and start time you can offer for the interview.
Confirm-by date: When you need the candidate's choice, so you can release the other slots.
GST / AST: UTC+4 in the UAE and Oman; UTC+3 in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain.

Before you send it

Hold the slots you offer in every interviewer's calendar until the candidate replies — offering a time that then disappears costs more goodwill than the original change.
If you reschedule more than once, call the candidate as well as emailing. Repeated changes are a common reason strong candidates withdraw.
Keep the reason short and honest, or leave it out. Don't share internal details about other candidates or budget approvals.
For a fully Arabic email, type the names and dates in Arabic — the template keeps exactly what you enter.

Related interview tools

Frequently asked questions

How do I reschedule an interview politely?

Should I give a reason for rescheduling an interview?

How many new time slots should I offer?

What if the candidate asks to reschedule?

Which days and times work best for rescheduled interviews in the Gulf?

Every week this role stays open costs you. Post it free today.

Post the job on MenaJobs free in about 2 minutes. We review every post, and once approved it reaches job seekers across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman.

Post a job free