PDPL — Saudi Personal Data Protection Law
Saudi Arabia's comprehensive data privacy legislation. Applies to all organizations that process personal data of individuals in the Kingdom.
What is PDPL?
The Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL), issued by the Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA), establishes the legal framework for collecting, processing, storing, and transferring personal data in Saudi Arabia. Often compared to GDPR, the PDPL grants data subjects specific rights and imposes obligations on data controllers and processors.
Who must comply?
- Any organization that collects or processes personal data of individuals in Saudi Arabia
- Government entities
- Private sector companies
- Foreign companies processing Saudi residents' data
- Data controllers and data processors
Key PDPL requirements
Lawful basis for processing
Consent or legitimate interest required for all personal data processing activities.
Data subject rights
Right to access, correction, deletion, and portability of personal data.
Data Protection Officer
DPO appointment required for organizations processing high-risk or large volumes of data.
Cross-border transfers
Restricted transfers to third countries — requires SDAIA approval or adequate protection mechanisms.
Data breach notification
Mandatory notification to SDAIA within 72 hours of discovering a personal data breach.
Privacy impact assessments
Required for high-risk processing activities before commencing data operations.
How CYDER automates PDPL compliance
Data discovery & classification
Identify and classify personal data across your infrastructure. Map data flows and processing activities for PDPL compliance.
Consent management
Track and manage consent records. Automated data subject request handling with audit trail.
Breach detection & notification
Detect data breaches in real-time. Auto-generate SDAIA notification reports within the 72-hour window.