Guide to the Saudi Personal Data Protection Law

For Controllers and Processors

Version 1.0 December 2023

Chapter 1

Introduction (Guide 1 – 1)

PDPL Guide No. 1

Introduction
Chapter 2

Data protection in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Guide 2 – 15)

PDPL Guide No. 2

Data protection in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

PDPL Guide No. 3

Scope of the PDPL

PDPL Guide No. 4

Material scope: What does PDPL regulate?

PDPL Guide No. 5

What is personal data?

PDPL Guide No. 6

How can individuals be identified?

PDPL Guide No. 7

What is sensitive data?

PDPL Guide No. 8

What are the specific provisions regarding processing sensitive data?

PDPL Guide No. 9

What forms can personal data take?

PDPL Guide No. 10

What are the sources of personal data?

PDPL Guide No. 11

Are opinions and inferences of individuals considered personal data?

PDPL Guide No. 12

Processing data of a deceased individual

PDPL Guide No. 13

Is pseudonymized data considered personal data?

PDPL Guide No. 14

Is anonymized data considered personal data?

PDPL Guide No. 15

What is meant by processing of personal data?
Chapter 3

Territorial scope: Where does the PDPL apply? (Guide 16 – 19)

PDPL Guide No. 16

Territorial scope: Where does the PDPL apply?

PDPL Guide No. 17

Scenario 1: What is considered as processing in the Kingdom?

PDPL Guide No. 18

Scenario 2: Who are considered as individuals residing in the Kingdom?

PDPL Guide No. 19

Scenario 3: Who are considered as parties outside the Kingdom?
Chapter 4

Roles, Exemptions, and Implementation Timeline; Competent Authority (Guide 20 – 23)

PDPL Guide No. 20

What roles do controllers and processors play under the PDPL?

PDPL Guide No. 21

When does the PDPL not apply? What is personal or family use?

PDPL Guide No. 22

When will the PDPL come into force? What should you do during the grace period?

PDPL Guide No. 23

Who is the Competent Authority?
Chapter 5

Individuals’ rights and Data protection principles (Guide 24 – 25)

PDPL Guide No. 24

Individuals’ rights

PDPL Guide No. 25

Data protection principles
Chapter 6

Appendix 1 – Non-exhaustive list of examples of bad data protection practices (Guide 26 – 26)

PDPL Guide No. 26

Appendix 1 – Non-exhaustive list of examples of bad data protection practices
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