Legal Protection of Personal Data within the Digital Space under the Saudi Legal System

Abstract

This study examines the legal and legislative framework for protecting information and personal data in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, particularly considering rapid digital transformation. The study employs a descriptive-analytical methodology by surveying the statutory provisions of the “Personal Data Protection Law” (PDPL) and analysing the role of the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA) in safeguarding digital privacy. The research aims to highlight the significance of information as a strategic asset, reviewing mechanisms to counter cyber-breaches and regulations governing the right of access to information. The study concludes that the Saudi legal system has successfully balanced the promotion of digitization with the protection of individual rights, imposing deterrent penalties to ensure compliance in alignment with international best practices.

This is within the context of the sustainable transformation, which imposes upon societies the importance of observing a balance between the provision of digital freedom and the data availability it allows, on the one hand, and the imposition of a systematic protective framework to safeguard individuals' personal information from all forms of customary and emergent infringements according to the variables of the era, on the other hand. The study shed light on the most significant practical features in the data and information protection file within the Saudi system by extrapolating the practical protection mechanisms from systemic institutions and bodies in the Kingdom, as well as regulations and bylaws, to ensure the activation of the balance between the accessibility and protection of information, whether at the individual or societal level within the Saudi system. This reflects the vision of that system and its proactive steps in the field of digitalization and informational protection.