Dubai Chamber of Commerce, in cooperation with PWC, recently organised a workshop for businesses that examined the legal and practical aspects of data privacy in the UAE.

The workshop was attended by 50 participants, including business owners, managers, lawyers, legal practitioners, corporate counsel, IT professionals, HR managers, risk and compliance professionals, and contract administrators representing a wide range of economic sectors. The session was moderated by Phil Mennie, Head of Data Privacy at PWC Middle East; and Richard Chudzynski, Regional Legal Lead for Data Privacy at PWC Middle East.

The workshop provided participants with an overview of the UAEs data privacy principals, its context and background, legal and practical aspects of UAEs data protection regulations, as well as the impact of introducing data privacy law on organisations.

During the session, the speakers shared practical and legal aspects of compliance with the UAE data protection regulations, and provided an overview of data protection, its importance, key data protection concepts and principles, and the UAE personal data protection law and its impact on organisations.

Jehad Kazim, Vice President - Legal Services at Dubai Chamber of Commerce, mentioned data privacy has become a top priority for businesses with the increasing volume of data usage, describing the workshop as an ideal platform for businesses to pose their questions about data privacy to legal experts.

In todays world, data is a crucial business asset that requires proper safeguarding, and the UAE is clearly committed to creating a safe data environment with clear guidelines for businesses and private persons as to their rights and responsibilities. Last year the Data Privacy Law was released, and we are now eagerly awaiting the Executive Regulations which will provide further guidance. Its truly exciting to see both the developments in the UAE as well as KSA and Oman which have also recently released their Data Privacy Laws, said Phil Mennie, Head of Data Privacy at PWC Middle East.

Dubai Chamber of Commerce regularly organises training seminars and workshops to raise awareness about important matters and issues impacting the business community in Dubai. These events fall in line with its strategic objectives of creating a favourable business environment and supporting business growth in the emirate.