Privacy Policy
Version 2 · Effective 08/07/2026
1. Controller and contact
SouqSpot, operated from Al Ain, Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, is the controller of personal data processed through www.souqspot.ae and the SouqSpot mobile applications. Privacy contact: privacy@souqspot.ae. This policy is issued under Federal Decree-Law 45/2021 on the Protection of Personal Data (PDPL) and related UAE legislation, including the E-Commerce Law 14/2023 and the Electronic Transactions and Trust Services Law 46/2021.
2. Data we collect
Account data: name, email, phone number, password (stored as a salted hash), locale, city. Seller and business data: display name, business identity, trade licence details and verification documents. Content: listings, photos, chat messages, reviews, saved searches, follows. Usage data: views, searches, device type, app platform and approximate location derived from your selections. Technical data: session identifiers, security logs, crash and performance diagnostics. Payment references for paid services (we do not store card numbers).
3. Purposes and legal bases
We process personal data to: operate the marketplace and your account (performance of contract); verify sellers and screen fraud, scams and prohibited content (legitimate interest and legal obligation); send transactional notifications such as chat replies and moderation outcomes (performance of contract); send marketing you opted into (consent, withdrawable at any time under Account → Notifications); improve the Platform through aggregated analytics (legitimate interest); and comply with UAE law, including consumer protection and content regulations (legal obligation).
4. PDPL principles
Personal data is processed fairly, transparently and lawfully; collected for specified purposes and not further processed incompatibly; limited to what is necessary; kept accurate; retained only as long as needed; and protected with appropriate technical and organisational measures.
5. Sharing
We do not sell personal data. Data is shared only with: service providers who host and operate Platform infrastructure under contract; document reviewers (trained staff) for verification; other members, limited to what you publish and the identity shown on your listings and chat; and public authorities where a valid legal process under UAE law requires it. Verification documents are stored separately from public content and are never displayed publicly.
6. International transfers
Where infrastructure or providers process data outside the UAE, we transfer only under PDPL-compliant safeguards: to jurisdictions with adequate protection as recognised by the UAE Data Office, or under contractual protections meeting PDPL Article 22-23 requirements, or with your explicit consent where the law allows.
7. Security and breach notification
We apply encryption in transit, hashed credentials, access controls, audit logging and staff confidentiality obligations. If a breach threatens your privacy or the confidentiality of your data, we will notify the UAE Data Office and, where required, affected users in line with the PDPL.
8. Retention
Account data is kept while your account is active. On deletion (Account page or www.souqspot.ae/delete-account) your listings are taken down immediately and your identity is anonymised within 30 days. We retain only what UAE law obliges us to keep — for example transaction and invoice records under commercial and tax legislation — for the mandated periods, access-restricted.
9. Your rights
Under the PDPL you may: request access to and a copy of your data (instant self-serve export at Account → Download my data); correct inaccurate data; request deletion; restrict or object to specific processing, including direct marketing; request portability of data you provided in a structured machine-readable format; and withdraw consent at any time without affecting prior processing. Submit requests to privacy@souqspot.ae or through the Account page; we respond within 30 days. You may complain to the UAE Data Office if you consider processing unlawful.
10. Marketing choices
Marketing messages are sent only with your opt-in and every message carries an opt-out. Consent for marketing under Cabinet Decision 66/2023 is recorded with its date and scope, and withdrawing it stops marketing without affecting service messages.
11. Minors
The Platform is for adults 18+. We do not knowingly process children's data; accounts found to belong to minors are removed.
13. Changes
We may update this policy; material changes carry a new effective date and are announced on the Platform. Questions and complaints: privacy@souqspot.ae.