“The grace period is over... Vision 2030 is only 5 years away." —James Beriker
On May 5th, Pyxos had the honor of co-hosting a timely and wide-reaching webinar with the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The session focused on a critical topic for every organization operating in the Kingdom: how to prepare for and sustain compliance with Saudi Arabia’s Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL).
About PDPL
For those new to Saudi Arabia’s PDPL, the law was introduced by the Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA) in September 2023 and became fully enforceable in September 2024. PDPL is a cornerstone of the Kingdom’s digital transformation strategy, designed to build trust, safeguard personal data, and support responsible innovation. As Vision 2030 advances Saudi Arabia toward a knowledge-based, investment-driven economy, data privacy is no longer optional—it’s foundational.
Who Attended
The webinar brought together organizations from across Saudi Arabia’s public and private sectors—technology providers, banks, law firms, healthcare groups, engineering firms, and universities. Participants ranged from early-stage startups to billion-riyal enterprises, alongside semi-government bodies, academic institutions, and investment firms.
We were joined by C-level executives, compliance leads, cybersecurity specialists, legal advisors, tech heads, and HR professionals.
Together, they reflected a growing recognition that regulatory readiness is not confined to one function: it’s a cross-cutting priority that requires coordination across strategy, operations, and governance.
Top 5 Takeaways
Throughout the session, our speakers shared hard-won insights and field-tested methods drawn from real PDPL implementations across the Kingdom. For those who couldn’t attend—or want a focused recap—here are the five most important lessons every business and establishment operating in Saudi Arabia should take to heart.
1. Delaying Compliance is Riskier and More Expensive
“You cannot bet against SDAIA.” — James Beriker
Some companies believe that waiting to start compliance may reduce effort or cost. However, the risks of delay are serious:
Fines of up to SAR 5 million
Imprisonment of up to 2 years
Emergency response costs in case of violations
Loss of customer trust and reputational damage
Similar to GDPR in Europe, enforcement of PDPL is expected to become more visible and strict in the coming months.
2. Early Action Brings Long-Term Benefits
“You can't build a digital trust-based economy without having a rigorous data privacy compliance framework in place.” — James Beriker
Companies that begin compliance work early benefit from:
Lower total costs
More time to plan and prepare
Easier access to trained experts and technology partners
Stronger coordination between legal, IT, and business teams
Acting early means responding to regulators on your own terms—rather than in emergency mode.
3. There Is a Clear Path to PDPL Compliance
“When we talk about implementation of PDPL, we have to encompass all the directives, guidelines, and sector-specific overlaps—this is where harmonization is required.” — Anurag Sushant
The webinar outlined a proven four-phase method for becoming PDPL-compliant:
Assessment – Review your people, processes, and systems.
Design & Develop – Create internal documentation and compliance materials.
Implementation – Train staff, deploy solutions, and begin policy enforcement.
Testing & Monitoring – Regularly simulate and improve your privacy operations.
Each phase helps ensure companies meet SDAIA’s expectations and are ready for audit or investigation if needed.
4. Technology Is Essential—Not Optional
“You need to keep a complete record of all of this, and for this… doing it manually is impossible.” — Varun Arora
Manual compliance is not sustainable, even for mid-sized companies. Without automation:
Responding to deletion or access requests can become too expensive
Human error becomes more likely
DPOs and compliance teams face burnout
Technology platforms reduce human workload, improve audit readiness, and ensure consistent compliance—across systems and teams.
5. Compliance Is Ongoing, Not One-Time
“Once we have achieved compliance, it’s not the end of compliance. Compliance is a continuous subject matter.” — Anurag Sushant
As Saudi Arabia advances toward Vision 2030, both regulators and customers expect organizations to treat data privacy as a continuous responsibility—not a one-time exercise. In a knowledge-driven, trust-based economy, ongoing vigilance is essential.
That means regularly auditing your operations, adapting policies as your business grows, and staying responsive to evolving risks. Smart compliance programs go beyond checklists; they ensure DSAR mechanisms hold up under pressure, privacy notices reflect current practices, and data maps remain accurate.
The goal isn’t just audit-readiness… it’s long-term credibility in a digitally transformed Saudi market.
My colleagues painted a clarifying, urgent, and empowering picture: compliance is mandatory, but with the right technology, plan, partners, and mindset… it’s also manageable.
The path to PDPL compliance is not only a legal requirement—it’s a strategic investment in your organization’s role in Vision 2030. The sooner your systems, teams, and governance align with the law, the better prepared you’ll be to grow with confidence in Saudi Arabia’s digital economy.
Full Presentation Below
p.s. Next week, we will also be publishing video highlights from the event here on our blog and on our LinkedIn page. Stay tuned!
How ChatGPT was used in this post:
Analysis of webinar transcript
Assistance in editing human-written prose
