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Privacy Policy

www.unwaterconferenceuae.com

Effective date: 26 June 2026

First issued: 26 June 2026

1. Who we are

This website is operated by the UAE Executive Office for the 2026 UN Water Conference, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud St - Al Bateen, Abu Dhabi, UAE ("we", "us", or "our").

The website is maintained on our behalf by appointed service providers acting as our data processors under written agreements that meet the requirements of applicable data protection law.

If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle your personal data, please contact us at: info@unwaterconferenceuae.com

2. Scope of this policy

This policy applies to all visitors to www.unwaterconferenceuae.com and to anyone who submits their personal data via the website, including through our newsletter sign-up form or, in due course, our event registration process.

It sets out what personal data we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, who we share it with, and what rights you have.

3. Key definitions

Personal data is any information that identifies or could identify a natural person - for example, your name, email address, or IP address.

Processing means any operation performed on personal data, including collection, storage, use, transfer, and deletion.

Controller means the entity that determines the purposes and means of processing personal data. The controller for this website is the UAE Executive Office for the 2026 UN Water Conference.

Processor means an entity that processes personal data on behalf of the controller.

4. Applicable law

This website is operated by a UAE entity and is visited by users in multiple jurisdictions. We process personal data in accordance with:

  • UAE - Federal Decree Law No. 45 of 2021 on Personal Data Protection ("Law No. 45")
  • UK - UK General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018 ("UK GDPR")
  • EU/EEA - EU General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 ("GDPR")
  • USA - California Consumer Privacy Act as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act ("CCPA/CPRA"), and equivalent state privacy laws where applicable
  • Australia - Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles
  • Singapore - Personal Data Protection Act 2012
  • Japan - Act on the Protection of Personal Information
  • South Korea - Personal Information Protection Act
  • India - Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023
  • South Africa - Protection of Personal Information Act 2013
  • Saudi Arabia - Personal Data Protection Law

Where other national data protection laws apply to users in additional markets, we aim to meet the standards of those laws to the extent they are consistent with the above framework. Where there is a conflict, we apply the most protective standard available.

5. Legal bases for processing

We must have a valid legal basis to process your personal data. Depending on the purpose, we rely on one or more of the following:

  • Consent - you have given us clear, specific, and informed consent (for example, by subscribing to our newsletter or accepting non-essential cookies)
  • Contract - processing is necessary to perform a contract with you or to take steps at your request before entering into one
  • Legal obligation - processing is necessary to comply with a legal or regulatory obligation
  • Legitimate interests - processing is necessary for our legitimate interests (for example, website security and performance analytics), provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and interests

Where we rely on consent, you have the right to withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before you withdrew consent.

6. What personal data we collect

a) Data you provide to us

When you sign up to our newsletter, we collect:

  • Email address
  • First name and last name
  • Country
  • Organisation and/or job title
  • Areas of interest
  • Language preference

This list will be updated if and when we introduce event registration or other data collection forms. Any new form will disclose at the point of collection what data is being captured and why.

b) Data collected automatically

When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain technical data, including:

  • IP address
  • Browser type and version
  • Device type and operating system
  • Pages visited and time spent on each page
  • Referring URL

This data is used to monitor website performance and improve the visitor experience. It is processed on the basis of our legitimate interests.

c) Cookies and tracking technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies on this website. Some cookies are strictly necessary for the website to function; others are used for analytics or advertising purposes and are only placed with your consent.

For full details of the cookies we use, including third-party cookies set by our advertising and analytics partners, please refer to our Cookie Policy.

d) Aggregated and anonymised data

We analyse traffic patterns, website interactions, and browsing behaviour for internal business purposes. Where data is genuinely anonymised and cannot be used to identify you, it falls outside the scope of this policy. Where aggregated data is combined with personal data in a way that could identify you, we treat the combined data as personal data and handle it accordingly.

7. How we use your personal data

We use the personal data we collect for the following purposes:

  • To send you our newsletter and other communications you have subscribed to
  • To manage event registration and attendance (when applicable)
  • To operate, administer, and improve our website
  • To monitor website performance and security
  • To conduct analytics on website usage (on the basis of legitimate interests and, where required, consent)
  • To serve and measure targeted advertising campaigns (on the basis of consent)
  • To comply with our legal and regulatory obligations
  • To bring or defend legal claims where necessary

We will not use your personal data for any purpose that is incompatible with the purposes described above without first notifying you.

8. Data sharing

a) Internal access

Access to your personal data within our organisation is restricted to authorised personnel who require it to carry out their responsibilities.

b) Processors

We share your personal data with third-party processors who act on our documented instructions. These include service providers engaged to support:

  • Website maintenance and operation
  • Website hosting and infrastructure
  • Content management
  • Newsletter delivery and list management
  • Campaign delivery and conversion tracking

All processors are bound by written agreements requiring them to process personal data only on our documented instructions, to implement appropriate technical and organisational security measures, and to comply with applicable data protection law.

c) Other disclosures

We may also disclose your personal data:

  • To competent authorities, regulators, or law enforcement where required by law
  • In connection with legal proceedings or to protect our rights
  • To a successor body in the event of a reorganisation or transfer of our operations

We do not sell your personal data.

d) International transfers

Your personal data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside your own, including the UAE and the UK. Where such transfers involve personal data protected by GDPR or UK GDPR, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as standard contractual clauses approved by the relevant supervisory authority. We take all reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data in transit.

9. Marketing

Where you have subscribed to our newsletter, we will send you communications relevant to the 2026 UN Water Conference on the basis of your consent.

Every marketing communication we send will include a clear and easy means to unsubscribe. You may unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email or by contacting us at info@unwaterconferenceuae.com.

10. Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy. In practice:

  • Newsletter subscriber data is retained while you remain subscribed and for a reasonable period thereafter to manage unsubscribe records
  • Technical and analytics data is retained in accordance with the retention settings of the relevant platform
  • Data related to legal obligations or disputes may be retained for longer periods as required by law

When we no longer need your personal data, or you request it, we will delete or anonymise it securely.

11. Security

Our website uses SSL/TLS encryption for all data in transit. We have implemented technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, destruction, or alteration, including access controls and need-to-know restrictions.

No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure. If you have reason to believe that your data has been compromised, please contact us at info@unwaterconferenceuae.com.

12. Cookies

We use Google Tag Manager to manage tags on our website. Google Tag Manager itself does not collect personal data, but it triggers other tags (such as analytics and advertising pixels) that may do so. If you decline non-essential cookies, Google Tag Manager remains active but the tags it manages will not fire.

For full information on the cookies and tracking technologies we use, please see our Cookie Policy.

13. Third-party links

This website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites and this policy does not apply to them. We encourage you to read the privacy policy of any third-party website you visit.

14. Your rights

Rights under UAE Law No. 45

If you are based in the UAE, you have the right to:

  • Access your personal data
  • Rectify inaccurate personal data
  • Erase or restrict processing of your personal data
  • Withdraw consent
  • Object to processing
  • Not be subject to automated decision-making
  • Data portability

The UAE Data Office (https://u.ae/) acts as the federal data regulator. We would appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns before you contact the UAE Data Office.

Rights under UK GDPR and EU GDPR

If you are based in the UK or EEA, you have the right to:

  • Access your personal data
  • Rectify inaccurate personal data
  • Erasure ("right to be forgotten")
  • Restrict processing
  • Object to processing, including processing based on legitimate interests
  • Data portability
  • Not be subject to solely automated decision-making with legal or similarly significant effects
  • Lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority

In the UK, the supervisory authority is the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) (https://ico.org.uk). In the EU, you may contact the supervisory authority in your country of residence.

Rights under CCPA/CPRA (California residents)

If you are a California resident, you have the right to:

  • Know what personal information we collect, use, disclose, and sell
  • Delete personal information we hold about you
  • Correct inaccurate personal information
  • Opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information (we do not sell or share personal information)
  • Non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights
  • Limit use of sensitive personal information (where applicable)

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@unwaterconferenceuae.com. We will respond within the timeframes required by applicable law (generally 30 days, with the possibility of a single extension where necessary).

All users

To exercise any of the rights listed above, please contact us at info@unwaterconferenceuae.com. We will respond as soon as reasonably possible and in any event within 30 days. If we are unable to fulfil your request, we will explain why.

16. What we do not do

  • We do not collect personal data from minors or children
  • We do not process special category data without obtaining prior specific consent
  • We do not use solely automated decision-making, including profiling with legal or similarly significant effects
  • We do not sell your personal data

17. Changes to this policy

The first version of this policy was issued on 26 June 2026. If we make material changes, we will update the effective date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

18. Contact

For any questions about this policy or to exercise your rights, please contact us at:

info@unwaterconferenceuae.com

UAE Executive Office for the 2026 UN Water Conference

King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud St - Al Bateen, Abu Dhabi, UAE