UserInfoProtectionPolicy

​ ​​​​​​ The purpose of collecting personal data is directly related to the objectives of mewa.gov.sa and does not conflict with any specific legal provision. The methods and means of collecting personal information shall be appropriate to the circumstances of the owner, direct, clear, secure, and free from deception, misleading information, or extortion. If it becomes evident that the collected personal data is no longer necessary to achieve the purpose for which it was collected, mewa.gov.sa will cease retaining it and immediately destroy the previously collected data.​

The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture will ensure that the following standards are met before collecting your personal data:

• The justification for collecting your personal data.
• The purpose of collecting your personal data, whether all or part of it is mandatory or optional, along with further information regarding data processing that does not conflict with the purpose of its collection or is otherwise stipulated by law.
• The identity and reference address of the personal data collector where applicable, unless for security purposes.
• The entity or entities to which personal data will be disclosed and described, and whether the personal data will be transferred, disclosed, or processed outside the Kingdom.
• The possible consequences and risks of failing to comply with the personal data collection procedure.
• Your privacy and data protection rights as stipulated by law.
• Other elements specified by regulations depending on the nature of the activity carried out by the entity.

In the event that personal data is collected from persons other than the owner, the following conditions shall be met:

• If the personal data owner consents to this in accordance with the provisions of the law.
• If the personal data is publicly available or collected from a publicly available source.
• If the entity is a public entity, and the collection or processing of personal data is required for security purposes, implementation of another law, or fulfillment of judicial requirements in accordance with the provisions specified in the regulations.
• If compliance with this restriction may harm the personal data owner or affect their vital interests, in accordance with the provisions specified in the regulations.
• If the collection or processing of personal data is necessary to protect public health, public safety, or the life or health of a specific individual or individuals.
• If the personal data is not recorded or stored in a format that enables the owner to be identified directly or indirectly.

What Data Do We Collect?

• When you visit mewa.gov.sa, our servers automatically collect your IP address and gather information regarding the user’s browser, search engine, geographic location, URL history, and time and date of access.
• mewa.gov.sa retrieves your personal data available through the Government Service Bus (GSB). Personal data, regardless of its source or form, explicitly identifies an individual or makes it possible to identify them directly or indirectly, including names, personal identification numbers, addresses, contact numbers, license numbers, records, personal property, bank account numbers, credit card numbers, still or moving images of the individual, and other data of a personal nature.
• This includes any operation performed on personal data by any means, whether manual or automated, including collection, recording, preservation, indexing, organization, formatting, storage, modification, updating, integration, retrieval, use, disclosure, transfer, publication, data sharing or interconnection, blocking, scanning, and destruction.
• Cookies are files stored on your phone, tablet, or computer when visiting mewa.gov.sa.

Why Do We Need Your Data?

The use of your IP address helps us resolve technical issues arising on our servers, including statistics regarding platform usage (such as number of visitors, computer language used, etc.). Determining users’ geographic location helps enable the availability of specific services on the platform and application.

We use cookies to collect and store information about how you use mewa.gov.sa and government digital services. Cookies enhance your use of the platform and help us better understand your needs.

How Do We Process and Store Personal Data?

Your personal data will not be processed without taking adequate measures to verify its accuracy, completeness, timeliness, and relevance to the purpose for which it was collected in accordance with regulatory provisions.

mewa.gov.sa applies the highest security standards to protect data and information. Sensitive data and any data required to remain confidential under legal requirements are encrypted and subject to additional controls and procedures. Sensitive data includes an individual’s racial or tribal origin, religious, intellectual, or political beliefs, membership in civil associations or institutions, criminal and security data, biometric data identifying genetic data, insurance data, health data, location data, credit data, and data indicating that one or both of the individual’s parents are unknown.

Only our technical staff are permitted to handle this information in order to provide such services for the mewa.gov.sa platform in accordance with your needs. 

We never allow any party other than the technical team of mewa.gov.sa to know your IP address.

Your personal data will only be disclosed in the following cases:

• If you consent to its disclosure in accordance with the provisions of the law.
• If your personal data has been collected from a publicly available source.
• If the requesting entity is a public entity for security purposes, implementation of another law, or fulfillment of judicial requirements in accordance with the provisions specified in the regulations.
• If disclosure is necessary to protect public health, public safety, or the life or health of a specific individual or individuals.
• If disclosure is limited to subsequent processing in a manner that does not specifically identify the personal data owner or any other individual.

mewa.gov.sa may not disclose your personal data whenever disclosure involves any of the following:

• It represents a threat to security, harms the reputation of the Kingdom, or conflicts with its interests.
• It affects the Kingdom’s relations with other countries.
• It prevents the disclosure of a crime, violates the rights of the accused to a fair trial, or affects the integrity of ongoing criminal proceedings.
• It endangers the safety of an individual or individuals.
• It involves a violation of the privacy of another individual other than the personal data owner as specified by regulations.
• It conflicts with the interests of an incomplete or incapacitated individual.
• It violates established professional obligations.
• It involves a breach of an obligation, procedure, or judicial ruling.
• It reveals a confidential source of information that public interest should not disclose.

mewa.gov.sa will destroy your personal data once the purpose for collecting it has ended. However, it may retain such data after the purpose has expired if all identifiers leading to the owner’s identity have been removed in accordance with controls specified in the regulations.

This platform retains personal data even after the purpose of collection has ended only in the following cases:

• If there is a regulatory justification requiring retention for a specific period, in which case the data must be destroyed after the end of such period or the end of the collection purpose, whichever is longer.
• If the personal data is closely related to a case before a judicial authority and retention is required for that purpose, in which case it shall be destroyed after the completion of judicial proceedings.
  

Related Legislation: