Saudi Arabia has decided to postpone the full enforcement of the Saudi Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) until 17 March, 2023, based on the recommendations of the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) and other competent authorities.
Saudi Arabia had initially issued a draft of its personal data protection law, known as PDPL, which in its current form prevents the transfer of personal data outside the kingdom without any individual exemptions. Companies that chose not to comply would face criminal sanctions, Bloomberg reported.
As a response, the largest business lobbying group in the US warned Saudi Arabia that a new privacy and data law would raise the cost of doing business in the kingdom and complicate efforts to attract foreign investors.
Statement from the Saudi Data & AI Authority #SDAIA regarding postponing the enforcement of the Saudi Personal Data Protection Law. pic.twitter.com/JLVUkEanvq
— SDAIA (@SDAIA_SA) March 22, 2022
Tech firms, banks, and payment firms were among the companies that expressed concerns about the new data law.
According to the latest report revealed by the state-run Saudi Press Agency, the decision to postpone the enforcement of the law is based on feedback received by the authority during a public consultation on the draft detailing the implementation and regulation of the Saudi Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL).
The authority received views and responses from a number of stakeholders, including individuals, as well as public and private entities, who participated in the public consultation.
The SDAIA will continue to encourage all relevant stakeholders to participate in SDAIA’s cooperative initiatives to enhance such a law through participation in future consultations.
