Privacy policy
What personal data we collect, why, who we share it with, how long we keep it, and your rights under UAE law and the GDPR.
This policy explains what personal data Dubai Business Insight collects when you use dubaibusinessinsight.com, why we collect it, who we share it with, how long we keep it and the rights you have. It applies to this website and our newsletter, The Dubai Business Brief.
The short version
- You can read every article, guide and calculator without giving us any personal data.
- We only collect what you choose to send us (a message or a newsletter sign-up) and, only if you click “Accept”, analytics data from Google Analytics.
- We don’t sell or rent personal data, and we don’t build advertising profiles.
- You can ask us to see, correct or delete your data at any time.
Who we are
Dubai Business Insight (“we”, “us”) is an independent publication run by its founder, who is also the editor. We are a remote newsroom based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. We decide how and why your data is used, so we are the “controller” of it.
For any privacy question or request, email contact@dubaibusinessinsight.com or use our contact form.
The laws we follow
We follow the UAE Personal Data Protection Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021). If you are in the European Union or the United Kingdom, the GDPR or UK GDPR also gives you rights, and we respect them.
What we collect, why, and for how long
| What | When we get it | Why we use it | Legal basis | How long we keep it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name, email address, topic and message | You send us a message through our contact form | To read and reply to you, and to act on corrections and tips | Your request to us | Up to 24 months after our last reply, then deleted |
| Email address, sign-up date and time, and the date you confirmed | You subscribe to the newsletter and confirm by email (double opt-in) | To send you the newsletter and keep proof that you asked for it | Your consent | Until you unsubscribe. After that we keep only a short record so we don’t email you again |
| Newsletter engagement (whether an email was opened and which links were clicked) | You open or click our emails | To see which topics readers find useful | Your consent to the newsletter | Kept with your subscription and deleted when you unsubscribe |
| Pages viewed, time on page, device and browser type, approximate location (city level), and how you reached us | Only after you click “Accept” on our cookie banner | To understand which guides help readers and what to improve | Your consent | Up to 14 months in Google Analytics |
| IP address, browser type and the pages requested | Every visit, as part of how websites work | To deliver pages, keep the site secure and stop spam and abuse | Needed to provide the website you ask for (and, under the GDPR, our legitimate interest in security) | For the limited period our hosting provider keeps server logs |
| A scrambled (hashed) version of your IP address | You use the contact or newsletter form | To limit how many times a form can be sent, which stops spam | As above | 1 hour |
We don’t ask for, and don’t want, sensitive data such as health, religion or financial account details. Please don’t include it in messages.
What we don’t do
- Calculators: our calculators run in your browser. The figures you type are not sent to us and are not stored.
- No advertising tracking: we don’t use advertising cookies or share data with ad networks. If this changes, we will ask for your consent first and update this page.
- No automated decisions: we don’t make decisions about you by automated means or profiling.
Who we share data with
We share data only with the service providers we need to run the site. They act on our instructions and may not use your data for their own purposes.
| Provider | What they do for us |
|---|---|
| Hostinger | Hosts the website and its database, delivers pages through its content delivery network, keeps server logs and security backups, and runs our email. |
| MailPoet (software running on our own website) | Manages our newsletter list. Newsletter emails are sent through our hosting provider. |
| Google (Google Analytics) | Measures how the site is used, only if you click “Accept”. |
We may also share data if the law requires it, for example in response to a valid request from a UAE authority, or to protect the site and its readers from fraud or abuse.
International transfers
Some of our providers store or process data outside the UAE, for example in the European Union or the United States. When that happens we rely on providers that apply recognised safeguards, such as standard contractual clauses, so that your data stays protected.
Links, sharing and “Summarize with AI” buttons
Our pages link to government websites and other outside sites. Our share buttons open WhatsApp, LinkedIn or X, and our “Summarize with AI” buttons open an AI assistant (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Google AI Mode or Grok) with the address of the page. Nothing is sent unless you click. Once you are on another service, its own privacy policy applies.
Cookies
We use as few cookies as possible. Analytics cookies are set only after you click “Accept”. Our cookie policy lists every cookie. You can change your choice at any time with the “Cookie settings” link at the bottom of every page.
How we keep data safe
- The whole site uses HTTPS encryption.
- Only the editor can access messages and newsletter records, and admin accounts are protected with two-factor authentication.
- Our forms have spam protection, and we keep regular backups so data isn’t lost.
No website can be fully secure. If a breach puts your data at risk, we will tell you and the relevant authority as the law requires.
Your rights
You can ask us to:
- tell you what personal data we hold about you and give you a copy, in a common format if you want to move it,
- correct data that is wrong or incomplete,
- delete your data,
- limit or stop how we use your data, or object to it,
- withdraw your consent at any time (for example, to analytics or the newsletter). This doesn’t affect what we did before you withdrew it.
To use a right, email contact@dubaibusinessinsight.com or use our contact form. We may ask you to confirm your identity. We will reply within one month. If a request is complex, we may need up to two more months, and we will tell you why.
To stop the newsletter, use the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email. It works straight away.
If you are unhappy with how we handle your data, please tell us first so we can put it right. You can also complain to the UAE data protection authority (the UAE Data Office) or, if you are in the EU or UK, to your local data protection authority.
Children
This site is written for adults. We don’t knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 18. If you think a child has sent us personal data, contact us and we will delete it.
Changes to this policy
If we change how we use personal data, we will update this page and the “Updated” date. If a change is significant, we will say so on the site and, if you subscribe, in the newsletter.