PDPL for Managers: Data Protection Decision-Making in KSA

Make confident, compliant data decisions under Saudi PDPL with practical guidance for managers and leaders

What you’ll learn
Understand when Saudi Arabia’s PDPL applies to business activities and decisions.
Identify lawful bases for processing personal data under PDPL.
Recognize the responsibilities of managers when approving data processing activities.
Understand transparency obligations and what must be included in privacy notices.
Handle data subject rights requests such as access, correction, and deletion.
Respond effectively to personal data breaches and understand notification obligations.
Identify risks when working with vendors and third-party processors.
Understand when international data transfers are allowed under PDPL.
Apply data retention and destruction rules to avoid unnecessary data storage.
Recognize when a DPIA or risk assessment is required for high-risk processing.
Identify privacy risks in emerging technologies such as AI and automated decision-making.
Make business decisions that align with PDPL compliance and regulatory expectations.

Requirements
Basic awareness of personal data and privacy concepts.
Completion of Jamal Ahmed’s PDPL Basics: Data Protection Training for Saudi Employees (Recommended but not mandatory).
No legal background or prior privacy expertise required.
This course is designed to be practical and accessible for non-lawyers.

Description
This course uses artificial intelligence and includes promotional content.

Understanding privacy laws is no longer just the responsibility of legal or compliance teams.

In most organisations, data protection risks are created through everyday business decisions

• A team launches a new system

• A manager approves a new vendor

• Data is transferred outside Saudi Arabia

• Customer data is reused for a new purpose

Individually, these decisions may seem routine.
Together, they determine whether an organisation handles personal data responsibly or creates regulatory risk.

Saudi Arabia’s Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) sets clear requirements for how personal data must be collected, used, shared, and protected.

These requirements apply to operational decisions made across the business, not just within legal or compliance teams.

This course is designed for managers and decision-makers who need to understand how PDPL applies in practice and how to make decisions that are compliant and defensible.

Rather than focusing on legal theory, the course takes a practical, scenario-based approach.

You will learn how PDPL applies to real business situations, including

• Approving vendors and managing third-party risk

• Launching systems that collect or analyse personal data

• Responding to data subject rights requests

• Managing personal data breaches and notification obligations

• Transferring personal data outside Saudi Arabia

• Applying data retention and destruction rules

• Assessing privacy risks in new technologies, automation, and AI

The course also explains the governance framework around PDPL, including accountability, regulatory oversight, and the role of management in ensuring compliance.

By the end of this course, you will be able to make informed, risk-aware decisions about how personal data is handled.
This will help reduce regulatory exposure, strengthen internal processes, and support responsible business operations.

This course is part of a broader PDPL learning series and is designed to move beyond awareness toward practical, decision-level data protection in Saudi Arabia.

Organisations that need support translating these principles into real-world implementation, including governance, policies, DPIAs, vendor risk, and enterprise training, often work with Kazient Privacy Experts for tailored advisory and support.

Who this course is for
Managers and team leaders responsible for approving projects or tools that involve personal data.
Business decision-makers involved in operations, HR, product development, or customer data handling.
Compliance, legal, or risk professionals supporting PDPL implementation.
Professionals working in organizations operating in Saudi Arabia or handling Saudi residents’ data.
Anyone who needs to make informed decisions about how personal data is collected, used, shared, or stored.