PDPL imposes strict requirements on the collection, processing, and protection of personal data. Exterro’s Data Privacy, Security, and Governance Suite offers a powerful, automated solution to streamline compliance and minimize data risk efficiently.
Saudi Arabia introduced the Personal Data Protection Law in 2021, which officially came into effect in September 2024, following a series of amendments and updates issued throughout 2023 and 2024. The Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) is Saudi Arabia’s first comprehensive law aimed at safeguarding personal data. It was introduced to protect privacy and align with global standards such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). PDPL governs how personal data is collected, processed, stored, and shared, ensuring organizations handle this data responsibly and transparently. The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) oversees compliance and handles any breaches of the law.
PDPL's key objectives include enhancing transparency, strengthening data security, safeguarding privacy rights, and ensuring accountability. By aligning with global standards like GDPR, PDPL facilitates Saudi businesses' engagement in the global economy while building public trust in digital services. Key provisions of PDPL cover data collection, consent management, data security, data subject rights, cross-border data transfers, data breach response, and privacy policies.
The PDPL mandates that organizations maintain a comprehensive Record of Processing Activities (RoPA), detailing the data controller’s and Data Protection Officer’s (DPO) contact information, processing purposes, data categories, retention periods, data recipients, and any data transfers outside Saudi Arabia. Exterro’s RoPA Manager streamlines compliance by capturing all required details and maintaining an audit trail for easy verification. Its powerful integration with Exterro Data Discovery further reduces manual work by automatically identifying data elements in processing activities, ensuring records remain accurate, up-to-date, and audit-ready.
Under PDPL, businesses must obtain specific, documented user consent for data processing, including cookies and tracking technologies, with the option for users to adjust their data choices at any time. Exterro’s Consent & Preference Management solution streamlines this process, offering customizable cookie banners and multilingual support for capturing explicit consent. With a user-friendly, branded portal, customers can easily modify their preferences, enhancing trust and ensuring compliance with PDPL’s ongoing consent requirements through accessible, secure consent management.
The PDPL requires organizations to collect only essential personal data and securely delete it when no longer needed, such as upon consent withdrawal or if processed unlawfully. Exterro Data Retention identifies data that has reached its retention limit. Exterro RoPA Manager helps flag unlawfully processed data. Exterro Data Discovery detects redundant, obsolete, or trivial (ROT) data and provides options to isolate it for anonymization or deletion. Together, these solutions streamline compliance with the PDPL’s data minimization and destruction requirements.
Utilize our free resources below to see how Exterro can help you become compliant in many of the global regulations.
Learn how Exterro’s Data Privacy, Security, and Governance (PSG) Suite gives organizations an efficient way to comply with the requirements of Saudi Arabia's Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL).
Explore how Saudi Arabia’s PDPL drives compliance, transparency, and trust in the digital landscape. Learn key steps for your organization’s compliance journey.
Learn about Exterro Data Discovery, the fastest way to find, identify and classify personal information, determine data policy compliance, and calculate risk across your data landscape.
