SAS ITUAE PDPL: What IT Decision Makers Need to Know
The UAE Federal Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) is fully in effect. Non-compliance exposes businesses to fines of up to AED 5 million.
Key IT Requirements
1. Data Inventory: Know where personal data is stored, who has access, and how long it is retained. Create a data map covering all databases, cloud services, CCTV systems, and email.
2. Technical Security Measures:
- Encryption at rest (BitLocker, Azure Disk Encryption)
- Encryption in transit (TLS 1.2+, HTTPS only)
- Access controls: only authorised staff can access personal data
- Logging and monitoring of access to personal data
3. Data Retention and Deletion: Define retention periods per data category. Automate deletion. CCTV footage must be deleted after the retention period.
4. Breach Notification: In the event of a data breach, notify the UAE Data Office within 72 hours if breach is likely to cause harm. Have an incident response plan documented.
5. Cross-Border Data Transfers: Transferring UAE residents data outside UAE requires either an approved country list or contractual safeguards. Review all SaaS applications processing UAE personal data.
PDPL IT Compliance Checklist
| Requirement | Status |
|---|---|
| Data inventory completed | Yes / No |
| Encryption at rest on servers | Yes / No |
| TLS enabled on all web applications | Yes / No |
| Access controls on personal data | Yes / No |
| Retention policy documented | Yes / No |
| Breach notification process defined | Yes / No |
| Cloud providers reviewed for data residency | Yes / No |
SAS IT helps Dubai businesses achieve PDPL IT compliance. Free compliance review | +971-526716178
*Related: Managed IT Services Dubai | Networking & Security Dubai*
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About the Author
Written by the SAS IT Team — the same engineers who design, install, and support the networking, security, and infrastructure work described on this site. SAS IT Services was founded on 22 February 2020 in Dubai and has since delivered 500+ projects for businesses across the UAE.
We are a certified technology partner for Fortinet, Cisco, and Microsoft, among 17 documented vendor partnerships spanning networking, cybersecurity, CCTV, and cloud infrastructure — credentials that inform the technical guidance in our articles.
Our work is independently rated 5.0 out of 5 from 17 verified Google Reviews. Every article is reviewed internally for technical accuracy before publishing and reflects practices we apply on real client deployments in Dubai and the UAE.
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