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Table of Contents

Personal Data Destruction, Anonymization, and Pseudonymisation Guideline – Introduction
Personal Data Destruction, Anonymization, and Pseudonymisation Guideline – Objectives
Personal Data Destruction, Anonymization, and Pseudonymisation Guideline – First: Personal Data Destruction
Personal Data Destruction, Anonymization, and Pseudonymisation Guideline – Second: Anonymization
Personal Data Destruction, Anonymization, and Pseudonymisation Guideline – Third: Pseudonymisation
Personal Data Destruction, Anonymization, and Pseudonymisation Guideline – Fourth: General Guidelines

Personal Data Destruction, Anonymization, and Pseudonymisation Guideline – Objectives

Overview

Personal Data Destruction, Anonymization, and Pseudonymisation Guideline – Objectives define the intended outcomes of this guidance under the Saudi Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL).

The objectives focus on supporting Controllers in complying with requirements related to the destruction, anonymization, and pseudonymisation of personal data, promoting best practices for these activities, strengthening the protection of data subject rights, and safeguarding privacy when personal data is no longer needed for its original purpose or must be de identified.

SDAIA's Official Text

The text below reproduces official PDPL law, regulation, or guideline issued by the Saudi Data & AI Authority, verified against the original SDAIA source. No changes or reinterpretation applied.

Objectives

This Guideline aims to:

  1. Assist entities in implementing the provisions of the Law.

  2. Encourage entities to adopt best practices for personal data destruction, anonymization, and Pseudonymisation.

  3. Provide technical examples to aid Controllers in implementing the provisions concerning data destruction, anonymization, and Pseudonymisation as outlined in the Law and its Implementing Regulations.

  4. Contribute to empowering data subjects to exercise their rights as stipulated in the Law.

  5. Protect the privacy of data subjects.

Plain-Language Explanation

The explanation below is provided to help you understand the SDAIA’s legal text and does not replace or override the official PDPL law, regulation, or guideline.

1. Supporting Legal Implementation

One of the core objectives of the guideline is to assist entities in implementing the provisions of the Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) and its Implementing Regulations. This includes translating legal requirements related to data destruction, anonymization, and pseudonymisation into practical, actionable steps that organizations can apply within their operations.

2. Promoting Best Practices

The guideline encourages entities to adopt recognized best practices when destroying, anonymizing, or pseudonymising personal data. This objective reinforces the expectation that entities go beyond minimal compliance by applying effective technical and organizational measures that reduce privacy risks and prevent re-identification.

3. Providing Technical Guidance

Another objective is to provide technical examples that help Controllers implement destruction, anonymization, and pseudonymisation requirements correctly. These examples are intended to clarify how legal obligations can be operationalized in real-world processing environments, while remaining aligned with the Law and Implementing Regulations.

4. Empowering Data Subjects

The guideline also aims to contribute to empowering data subjects to exercise their rights under the Law. Proper destruction and anonymization practices support rights such as erasure, limitation of processing, and protection against unlawful retention or misuse of personal data.

5. Strengthening Privacy Protection

Protecting the privacy of data subjects is a foundational objective of the guideline. By ensuring that personal data is securely destroyed or irreversibly anonymized when no longer needed, the guideline helps reduce exposure to misuse, unauthorized access, and data breaches, thereby reinforcing overall trust in personal data processing activities.

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