Al Tamimi further strengthens its leading data protection offering

Issues relating to information privacy and data protection are of increasing relevance to individuals, businesses, governments and legislators across the Middle East. Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and incidents such as the Cambridge Analytica scandal, have further heightened public interest in data protection and online privacy.

In the Middle East, law makers are looking to modernise their approach to data protection. Both the DIFC and ADGM are planning updates to their data protection regimes to reflect the developments in GDPR. Bahrain and Qatar both have relatively new laws on data protection, and other countries in the region are also considering introducing modern data protection regimes, either for specific sectors or of general application. Adopting a modern approach to information privacy is intended to ensure that the processing of personal information is more in line with market expectations, both in terms of what consumers expect, and what is required to facilitate international commerce.

Al Tamimi’s Technology, Media & Telecommunications team has advised commercial and government clients on a variety of data protection related issues for many years. This includes developing data protection legislation and privacy policies, addressing data protection aspects of commercial contracting and M&A projects, and advising foreign and regional clients on local law data protection considerations.

Against this background, we are pleased to announce that three more members of Al Tamimi & Company’s Technology, Media & Telecommunications team recently passed exams to become ‘Certified Information Privacy Professionals’.

Nick O’Connell (Partner and Head of Technology, Media & Telecommunications – KSA), Amy Land-Pejoska (Associate, TMT), Zil-Ur-Rehman (Associate, TMT), each passed the “CIPP/E” exam, administered by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).

The CIPP/E certification is recognised as the global standard certification in the data protection space, and focusses on European data protection laws, key privacy terminology and practical concepts concerning the protection of personal data and trans-border data flows. The IAPP is the largest and most comprehensive global information privacy community. It provides a forum for privacy professionals to share best practices, track trends, advance privacy management issues, standardize the designations for privacy professionals and provide education and guidance in the field of information privacy.

For further information on data protection matters in the Middle East, please contact:

Nick O’Connell
Partner, Head of Technology, Media & Telecommunications – KSA
n.oconnell@tamimi.com

Martin Hayward
Head of Technology, Media & Telecommunications
m.hayward@tamimi.com