In our digital world, where, as the fuel for our digital economy, personal data is increasingly valuable, the UAE introduced the PDPL, the nation’s first federal law on the protection of an individual’s information. The PDPL establishes clear guidelines on how personal data must be handled and protected. Enacted in 2021, the PDPL represents a significant step towards ensuring the privacy and security of personal data, aligning with global standards such as the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”). For businesses (both in the UAE and those conducting business in the UAE from abroad), understanding the PDPL is not only essential for legal compliance but is crucial for protecting their reputation and for maintaining customer trust. While the PDPL is the subject of this article, the UAE is home to other data protection regimes, the two most prominent being those set out in the Dubai International Financial Centre’s Data Protection Law, and the Abu Dhabi Global Market’s Data Protection Regulations. KEY FEATURES OF THE PDPL The PDPL, which applies across the UAE (with few exceptions, including the aforementioned financial free zones), affects any natural or legal person that processes personal data within the UAE, or that handles the personal data of UAE residents, regardless of where such natural or legal person is based. For the purposes of this article (being focused on businesses), this means that those established inside the UAE must comply with the PDPL, as must businesses outside the UAE where they deal with personal data relating to UAE residents. Similar to the GDPR, therefore, the PDPL has an extraterritorial effect. 1. Definition of Personal Data and Processing...