Overview
General Rules for Secondary Use of Data – Seventh: General Rules defines general rules that guide how data sharing requests for secondary use are evaluated, prioritized, and resolved in Saudi Arabia. It sets out how urgency and public interest are considered, how approvals and rejections are handled, and how legal opinions may be sought from the National Data Management Office.
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.
Seventh: General Rules
- The Data Sharing Entity shall consider the urgency associated with data sharing requests for purposes of achieving public interest when evaluating submitted data sharing requests and shall prioritize their processing accordingly.
- The determination of whether the requested data is connected to the public interest shall be subject to the discretion of the requesting government entity, in accordance with the regulatory provisions related to its exercise of competencies and performance of its functions. The Data Sharing Entity shall assess the request for approval or rejection in light thereof, provided that any rejection shall be duly reasoned. In the event of rejection, the applicant may submit a request to the National Data Management Office for a legal opinion, in accordance with the details set forth in Paragraph (3) of this Article.
- Any party involved in the data sharing process under these Rules may submit a request to the National Data Management Office (NDMO) for a legal opinion regarding any dispute arising from the application of these Rules. The Office may, if necessary, proceed with completing the regulatory procedures with respect to the matter.
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.
Assessing Urgency for Public Interest Requests
This provision explains that the Data Sharing Entity must take the urgency of a request into account when evaluating data sharing intended to achieve public interest. Requests that carry urgent public interest implications should be processed with priority.
Determining Public Interest and Handling Rejections
This provision clarifies that a government entity has the discretion to determine whether a requested dataset relates to public interest based on its statutory powers and functions. The Data Sharing Entity must evaluate the request with this determination in mind and provide a justified explanation if the request is rejected. If a rejection occurs, the applicant may seek a legal opinion from the National Data Management Office.
Requesting Legal Opinions from the National Data Management Office
This provision allows any party engaged in the data sharing process to request a legal opinion from the National Data Management Office if a dispute arises regarding the application of these Rules. The Office may also proceed with regulatory procedures when needed.
