Dubai - Following a successful event held in Doha last month, leading global law firm Dentons, in collaboration with the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) Middle East, assembled practitioners from across a number of industries in Dubai this week for an overview of key issues and recent developments in data protection law in Qatar and what it will mean for companies doing business in Qatar.
The State of Qatar has issued Law No. 13 of 2016 Concerning Privacy and Protection of Personal Data. Gazetted on 29 December 2016, the Law will officially be the first national-level legal regime specifically governing data protection in the GCC. As such, it is expected to herald a new era of privacy-related compliance considerations for data controllers and processors in Qatar and the wider Middle East region, with neighbouring nations anticipated to follow suit in short order with their own national level privacy and data protection regimes.
Kelly Tymburski, a TMT and data protection partner in the Dubai office, discussed the new obligations on data controllers and processors in Qatar, requirements and restrictions on websites targeting children and electronic marketing regulation, as well as relevant exemptions under the Law and what it will mean for entities doing business in Qatar.
"The introduction of this Law will mean that those doing business in Qatar will have to be on top of privacy and data protection compliance. For these businesses, everything from websites and e-marketing to wider data processing activities will need to be examined in the context of these new legal considerations," she commented.
Kelly has significant experience in the Middle East market, particularly in regards to data protection and privacy matters, having worked in the region since 2007. She regularly advises private sector clients (including major financial institutions, insurance companies, universities and health sector organizations) on privacy and data protection inquiries for the UAE and wider Middle East region, covering both federal / national and free zone legal regimes. Kelly has also advised government and regulatory authorities on the development of data protection regimes and policies in the Middle East.
Dentons has one of the largest regional networks of any international law firm in the Middle East with eight offices in seven jurisdictions and many of the Firm's lawyers have dual English/Arabic language skills and can advise on local as well as international law.
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About Dentons
Dentons is the world's largest law firm, delivering quality and value to clients around the globe. Dentons is a leader on the Acritas Global Elite Brand Index, a BTI Client Service 30 Award winner and recognized by prominent business and legal publications for its innovations in client service, including founding Nextlaw Labs and the Nextlaw Global Referral Network. Dentons' polycentric approach and world-class talent challenge the status quo to advance client interests in the communities in which we live and work. www.dentons.com
About ACC Middle East
ACC Middle East promotes the common professional and business interests of in-house counsel who work for corporates, associations and other private sector organisations in Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco,Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. Part of the Association of Corporate Counsel, which has more than 40,000 members working at 10,000 organisations in 85 countries, ACC Middle East provides a local network in the region and serves the in-house community through information, education, networking opportunities and advocacy initiatives. www.acc.com/middleeast
For further information, please contact:
Valentine Petit
Senior Business Development & Marketing Executive
Dubai
+971 4 402 0880
valentine.petit@dentons.com
© Press Release 2017
