Gaining the Data Visibility Required Under Saudi Arabia's PDPL

Leveraging Automated Data Mapping for Privacy Compliance

The Data Gold Rush

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has been moving full speed into the digital age.

Smart cities are rising from the desert. E-government services are transforming how citizens interact with the state. E-commerce is booming, fintech is thriving, and artificial intelligence is reshaping how Saudis live, learn, and work.

From healthcare to education, logistics to entertainment, data has become the lifeblood of innovation. Every click, every transaction, every interaction fuels something bigger.

It’s all part of a bold and ambitious vision—Vision 2030—a national transformation agenda that places technology and digital infrastructure at the very heart of progress.

For businesses, it’s a time of incredible opportunity. New markets are emerging. Customer expectations are evolving. Data has become not just an asset—but a competitive advantage.

But amid this digital acceleration, something critical has been overlooked.

In the rush to digitize, many organizations lost sight of the very thing powering it all: data itself.

Where is it stored?
Who has access to it?
Is it being protected?
Is it still needed—or just sitting there, waiting to become a liability?

For a long time, these questions went unasked. Systems grew. Silos multiplied. And the complexity of data landscapes quietly increased.

Then came the Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL)—and suddenly, those questions could no longer wait.

The Law That Made Everyone Stop and Think

In September 2024, everything changed. The PDPL officially came into full effect, and the grace period to remedy potential violations  ended. For organizations across the Kingdom—and beyond—it marked the beginning of a new chapter in accountability. No matter your size, industry, or location—if you process the personal data of anyone living in Saudi Arabia, the PDPL applies to you.Suddenly, every business had a responsibility—not just legal, but ethical—to think deeply about the personal data they collect, store, transfer, and use.

The expectations were clear:

• Get clear, unambiguous consent before collecting personal data
• Honor individual rights—including access, correction, and deletion
• Protect cross-border transfers with strict safeguards
• Report breaches to SDAIA within 72 hours
• Don’t  retain data for longer than it’s truly needed
• And most importantly, be able to prove it all

This wasn’t just compliance—it was a call to transparency and trust.

The consequences for falling short were up to SAR 5 million in penalties, operational disruptions, reputational harm, and—perhaps most difficult to recover from—a loss of public confidence.

But there was one big challenge.

Many organizations were still struggling to answer a deceptively simple question:
Where is all our data? And that’s where the real journey toward compliance began—not with a checklist, but with true data visibility.

The Struggle to Understand Data

Let’s face it—managing data in 2025 is no small task. Across most organizations today, data lives everywhere. It’s scattered across cloud apps, buried in spreadsheets, tucked away in WhatsApp threads, legacy servers, shared inboxes—even on personal drives long forgotten. Some of it is outdated. Some of it is duplicated. A lot of it is mislabelled, unstructured, or just plain invisible. And because different teams use different tools, employees create their own workflows and shadow files, often with the best intentions—but with no central oversight.

If you think an Excel sheet is enough to map it all, you’re setting your organization up for failure. Then the real test comes: a customer submits a data access request, or there’s a security incident, or a regulatory agency sends a letter, and the questions start flying: “Where is this person’s data? Do we  have valid consent on file? Is this data stored in Dublin… or Dubai… or Dhahran? Who has access to it? When? And why? Can we prove any of this?” And just like that, what was once a quiet inefficiency becomes a very public problem. What seemed manageable on the surface now looks like a compliance fire drill. It’s not about blame. It’s about the reality that modern data ecosystems have outgrown manual methods. And in that realization comes the opportunity to build something better.

While complexity is inevitable, chaos isn’t. 

Download our recent whitepaper to learn how Automated Data Mapping can help.

The Moment of Clarity

At some point, every organization hits the same wall: the realization that you can’t govern what you can’t see. It’s not about effort—it’s about visibility. Teams may be doing their best to manage risk and maintain compliance, but without a clear picture of where data lives, how it flows, and who’s responsible for it, even the most well-intentioned efforts fall short.

That’s when automated data mapping becomes the game-changer; transforms privacy from a reactive task into a proactive strategy.

With Automated Data Mapping, you can have a living, breathing map of your entire data environment that updates in real time. A data catalog that  doesn’t just tell you what data you have, but also where it resides, who it belongs to, and how it’s being used. 

The catalog can flag what’s risky, highlight what’s outdated or duplicated,  identify data that may be crossing borders, and connect seamlessly with your compliance systems: your breach response plans, your DSAR workflows, your records of processing. No more hunting through spreadsheets. No more guesswork during audits. No more gaps in your data story. Exterro Automated Data Mapping Solution makes all this possible—right now.

It brings your data out of the shadows and into focus, giving you the clarity you need to act with confidence, meet your regulatory obligations, and build a stronger privacy foundation for the road ahead.

How Exterro Helps You Own Your Data

When it comes to privacy, control starts with clarity. That’s why Exterro Automated Data Mapping Solution isn’t just another piece of compliance software—it’s a way for organizations to truly understand, organize, and take charge of their data.

Think of it as a smart, intuitive platform that gives you visibility into every corner of your data landscape—no matter how complex or fragmented. Whether you're just getting started with PDPL compliance or looking to mature your privacy program, Exterro can help you move forward, confidently.

Exterro Automated Data Mapping starts by helping you discover hidden, “shadow” data. From forgotten folders and legacy mailboxes to systems, Exterro uncovers data silos that even IT may have missed—giving you a true, full picture of your data landscape.

Then it goes a step further, using advanced AI to classify that data with intelligence. Whether it’s personal identifiers, financial records, health information, or any other sensitive category—it knows what it’s looking at, and highlights what needs your attention.

The Exterro Data Privacy, Security, and Governance Suite also gives you the ability to see where your data flows—across borders, across systems, and across teams. If any data movement doesn’t align with PDPL’s cross-border requirements, you’ll know about it in real time.

And compliance? Exterro takes the heavy lifting off your shoulders. Whether it’s handling Data Subject Rights Requests (DSRs), generating breach notifications, or maintaining Records of Processing Activities (RoPA), it’s all automated, centralized, and audit-ready.

Finally, Exterro helps you clean house. You canl quickly identify redundant, outdated, or trivial (ROT) data that no longer serves a purpose—and securely dispose of it, giving your organization a leaner data footprint, reduced exposure to risk, and lower data storage costs.

With Exterro, owning your data isn’t complicated. It’s empowering. Because when you know what you have, where it is, and how it’s used—you’re not just compliant. You’re in control.

The Business Case for Doing It Right

Complying with the PDPL isn’t just about avoiding fines—it’s about creating real, lasting value for your organization. When privacy becomes part of your core operations, the benefits ripple across every corner of the business. With the right tools in place—like Exterro Automated Data Mapping Solution—organizations can unlock greater efficiency, reduce risk, and strengthen trust at every level.

They’re able to respond to data subject requests in minutes, not weeks—saving valuable time and ensuring a smooth, respectful customer experience. They gain visibility into exactly where sensitive information lives, how it flows, and who has access to it—helping them stay proactive, not reactive.

Instead of dreading audits, organizations can meet them with confidence, backed by accurate records and real-time insights. They can reduce unnecessary data clutter, minimize storage costs, and lower legal exposure. Most importantly, they position themselves as trustworthy stewards of personal data—a quality that customers increasingly value and expect.

When done right, privacy isn’t a burden—it’s a strategic advantage. It’s not just about meeting obligations—it’s about creating clarity, control, and confidence across your organization.With Exterro, privacy can evolve from a challenge into a capability–from a checkbox to a competitive edge.

This Isn’t Just About Compliance. It’s About Trust.

In today’s digital world, trust is everything. People aren’t just buying products or services—they’re choosing relationships built on transparency, integrity, and respect. When individuals feel that their personal data is handled responsibly, they engage more deeply, stay longer, and advocate for your brand.

That’s why the PDPL matters so much. It’s more than a regulatory requirement—it’s a clear message to businesses and citizens alike:

“We are entering a new era of responsibility.”

“We are putting people’s data, rights, and choices at the center.”

“We are building a future where innovation and trust grow together.”

This is a powerful vision—and one that every organization can be part of.  No matter where you stand today, the path forward is about more than compliance. It’s about creating a culture of accountability and showing your stakeholders—customers, employees, partners—that you take their privacy seriously.

At Exterro, we believe technology can help turn that vision into reality. Our Automated Data Mapping Solution gives organizations the tools they need to not only meet the requirements of PDPL but to build lasting trust—through visibility, control, and confidence in how data is handled. Because when privacy becomes part of your promise, trust follows.

The Future Belongs to the Prepared

It’s 2025, and the PDPL is no longer a headline on the horizon—it’s a reality shaping how organizations operate, protect data, and build trust. Audits are underway, and expectations are clear. But with clarity comes opportunity.

Across the Kingdom, organizations are rising to meet this new standard—not overnight, but step by step. Some are further along the path, while others are just beginning. Wherever you are on your compliance journey, one thing is certain: building a strong foundation for data privacy today means greater resilience, trust, and growth tomorrow. Getting there doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With the right partner, it can be a strategic advantage.

At Exterro, we’ve helped organizations across industries and regions navigate complex data privacy regulations—including GDPR, CCPA, and now the PDPL. Our experience, combined with our intelligent, automated solutions, is designed to meet you where you are—and guide you where you need to go.

Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to refine your existing approach, Exterro Automated Data Mapping gives you the visibility, control, and confidence to move forward—securely and compliantly.

Let’s take the next step together.

Talk to our experts or schedule a demo to see how Exterro can support your journey toward smarter, stronger data governance under PDPL.