United Arab Emirates: Data Protection

The UAE’s decision to ban social media platforms for minors under the age of 15 is a fundamental change in the approach towards child protection, digital safety and online accountability.

WhatsApp is part of daily life in the UAE. People use it for business, family discussions, tenancy issues, employment matters, school groups, and even disputes.

Rita Abou Samra and Aishwarya More examine the latest 2025 compliance reforms introduced by DIFC and ADGM, highlighting key amendments to the DIFC Data Protection Law and ADGM's new auditor registration framework. The analysis explores expanded individual rights, broader application of data protection regulations, and the practical steps businesses must take to ensure compliance with these new governance requirements.

On 14 April 2025, the UAE Cabinet approved the launch of the government's first integrated "Regulatory Intelligence" ecosystem and established a dedicated Regulatory Intelligence Office...

The Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) recently introduced the Data Protection (Substantial Public Interest Conditions) Rules (the "Rules") to clarify the conditions...

On 8 July 2025, the Dubai International Financial Centre ("DIFC") enacted a comprehensive set of legislative amendments following a public consultation paper released in February 2025.

In the digital age, where information flows freely, respecting the privacy of individuals remains paramount. The UAE has implemented legal frameworks to protect personal data and individual privacy.

As a result, the UAE has introduced a number of important legislations to protect consumers' rights generally and specifically in relation to electronic transactions.

The United Arab Emirates Federal Decree-Law No. 45/2021, otherwise and colloquially denoted as the ‘Personal Data Protection Law' (PDPL) came into effect on January 2nd 2022.