Saudi Arabia issues its first Personal Data Protection Law
By Cicada DeskEvent date: 1 min read
Added to the archive: Last verified:
In brief
Royal Decree M/19 of 16 September 2021, approving Cabinet Resolution 98 of 14 September, issued the Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL), which was published in the Official Gazette on 24 September 2021.
Royal Decree M/19 of 16 September 2021, approving Cabinet Resolution 98 of 14 September, issued the Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL), which was published in the Official Gazette on 24 September 2021. Penalties include up to two years' imprisonment and fines of up to SAR 5 million, and the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) oversees implementation.
The original text took effect on 23 March 2022 with a one-year compliance window, but it was later amended and effectively relaunched in September 2023.
Key figures
- 0.01SAR bnmaximum fine
Sources
This report is compiled from the sources below. Cicada links to every source we rely on.
- 1Saudi Arabia issues Personal Data Protection Law Clyde & Co · 28 Sept 2021
- 2Saudi Arabia: Royal Court publishes new Personal Data Protection Law SCC Online · 28 Sept 2021
Archive report. Written in 2026 from contemporary sources and dated to the day the event happened.
Cite this story
Cicada Desk. "Saudi Arabia issues its first Personal Data Protection Law". Cicada, 16 September 2021. https://cicadaconsultancy.online/en/news/pdpl-royal-decree-2021
Free to quote and reuse with attribution under CC BY 4.0.
