Privacy notice

First: What personal data is collected?

The General Secretariat of the Council of Universities Affairs collects the minimum amount of personal data necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Law and its regulations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The categories of personal data include:

• Basic personal data:Data such as name, gender, and marital status.
• Contact information:Data such as phone numbers, email address, and personal address.
• Account data:Login data for accounts on platforms and applications belonging to the General Secretariat of the Council of Universities Affairs, such as usernames and passwords.
• Education and training data:Data related to the lifecycle of educational and training processes concerning stakeholders such as university students, faculty members, researchers, and employees.
• Financial data:Data collected for processing payments, such as account numbers.
• Health data:Personal data relating to an individual’s physical, mental, or psychological health status.

Second: Why and how do we collect your personal data?

The General Secretariat of the Council of Universities Affairs collects and processes your personal data in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Law and its regulations. This processing is necessary to provide the highest level of service. Your data may be collected directly or indirectly depending on the service provided, including through:

• Services:When registering through the official channels of the General Secretariat of the Council of Universities Affairs, including educational platforms, mobile applications, products, or other services.
• Communication:When communicating with the General Secretariat of the Council of Universities Affairs through its different communication channels.
• Opinion surveys:Information you provide through opinion surveys.
• Registration forms:Information submitted through paper or electronic registration forms.
• Other entities:Data provided by government or private entities that support or provide services to beneficiaries of the General Secretariat of the Council of Universities Affairs.
• Electronic visits:Data recorded when you visit the General Secretariat website or electronic platforms belonging to the Secretariat or the Ministry of Education.

Third: How do we use your personal data?

The General Secretariat of the Council of Universities Affairs collects and processes data to improve the performance of its services for the following purposes:

1. Enabling and providing the services of the General Secretariat of the Council of Universities Affairs and fulfilling their requirements.
2. Preparing studies that support the university education process.
3. Responding to enquiries from beneficiaries of the Secretariat’s services.
4. Developing and improving the beneficiary experience and ensuring the continuity of service delivery at the required quality.
5. Authenticating users’ identities when they register for the Secretariat’s services.

Fourth: How do we share your personal data?

In accordance with the Data Sharing Policy issued by Ministerial Resolution No. (1/4600710188/S) dated 05/08/1446 AH, we may share necessary personal data with government or non-government entities for specific purposes based on legal grounds or a justified operational need that serves the public interest without harming national interests or individual privacy.

Personal data is shared through a secure and trusted environment in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Law and its regulations. The General Secretariat of the Council of Universities Affairs takes additional measures to protect personal data by entering into data-sharing agreements with other entities under defined terms and conditions consistent with the principles of data sharing and exchange.

Fifth: Legal basis for collecting and processing personal data

We collect and process your personal data on the following legal grounds:

• The Secretariat’s statutory duties and responsibilities:As provided in the Universities Law issued by Royal Decree No. (M/27) dated 02/03/1441 AH and the Kingdom’s Education Policy approved by Cabinet Resolution No. 779 dated 16/09/1389 AH.
• Compliance with the Personal Data Protection Law:Issued by Royal Decree No. (M/19) dated 09/02/1443 AH and amended by Royal Decree No. (M/148) dated 05/09/1444 AH.
• Public interest:Improving the educational process to achieve the highest standards of quality in university education and enhance its outcomes.

Sixth: How do we store your personal data?

Your personal data will be stored securely in data centres approved by regulatory authorities and securely destroyed in a manner that prevents access after the purpose for which it was collected has been fulfilled. The Secretariat may retain the data after that purpose has ended if all information that could specifically identify its owner has been removed.

Seventh: Transferring personal data outside the Kingdom

In accordance with the general rules issued by the National Data Management Office for transferring personal data outside the Kingdom’s geographical boundaries, your personal data will be securely stored and processed within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to preserve national digital sovereignty. This excludes the cases stipulated in Article 29 of the Personal Data Protection Law and its regulations where transferring or processing data outside the Kingdom is necessary.

Eighth: Data subject rights

1. The right to be informed:To be informed of the legal basis and purpose for collecting your personal data.
2. The right to obtain your data:To request your personal data held by the General Secretariat of the Council of Universities Affairs in a readable and clear format, in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Law and its regulations.
3. The right to correction:To request the correction, completion, or updating of your personal data held by the General Secretariat of the Council of Universities Affairs.
4. The right to object and withdraw consent:To object to processing and withdraw your consent at any time unless legitimate purposes require otherwise.
5. The right of access:To access your personal data held by the General Secretariat of the Council of Universities Affairs in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Law and its regulations, without prejudice to Article 9 of the Law.