Privacy Policy

Habibi Headlines is your smart friend in Dubai, delivering curated GCC business insights through our newsletter. We're based in Dubai, UAE, and take your privacy seriously.

When you subscribe, we collect:

• Personal Information: Email address (required), name (optional)
• Professional Information: Company name, job role, industry (optional)
• Location Data: Country/city of residence (optional)
• Contact Information: Phone number (optional)

We also automatically collect:

• Engagement Data: Email open rates, click-through rates, content preferences
• Technical Data: IP address, browser type, device information
• Referral Data: If you share Habibi Headlines with friends

We use your data to:

• 📧 Send you Habibi Headlines newsletter (3x per week)
• ✉️ Send transactional emails (welcome, account updates)
• 📊 Analyze engagement to improve content quality
• 🎯 Personalize content based on your interests and location
• 🎁 Manage our referral program and rewards
• 📈 Share aggregate (not individual) analytics with sponsors
• ⚖️ Comply with legal obligations

We will never: Sell your data, spam you, or share your email with third parties for their marketing.

Under UAE Personal Data Protection Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 45/2021), GDPR, and other privacy laws, our legal basis for processing your data is:

• Consent: You agree by submitting the subscription form
• Legitimate Interest: To improve our service and deliver relevant content
• Contractual Necessity: To fulfill our agreement to send you the newsletter

Your data is stored securely with:

• Beehiiv (our email platform) - US/EU servers with GDPR compliance
• HostGator (our website host) - With SSL/TLS encryption
• AWS Dubai (backups) - For UAE data residency when needed

Security measures include:

• 🔒 256-bit SSL/TLS encryption for all data transfers
• 🔐 Two-factor authentication (2FA) on all admin accounts
• 💾 Regular encrypted backups
• 🛡️ Regular security audits

We do NOT sell your data. We only share information with:

• Beehiiv: Our email delivery platform (Data Processing Agreement in place)
• Analytics Tools: Google Analytics for website traffic (aggregated data only)
• Legal Authorities: Only if required by UAE law or valid court order

All third-party providers are required to maintain strict confidentiality and security standards.

Under UAE PDPL, GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy laws, you have the right to:

• Access: See what data we have about you
• Rectification: Correct any inaccurate information
• Erasure: Delete your data completely ("right to be forgotten")
• Portability: Download your data in a portable format (JSON/CSV)
• Restriction: Limit how we process your data
• Object: Opt-out of specific data uses
• Withdraw Consent: Unsubscribe anytime

To exercise these rights: Contact us at [email protected]

We'll respond within 30 days (or up to 90 days for complex requests). This service is always free.

We make it easy to leave (though we'd miss you!):

• Click "Unsubscribe" at the bottom of any email
• Email [email protected] with "Unsubscribe"
• We'll process it within 10 business days per CAN-SPAM compliance

We retain your data as follows:

• Active Subscribers: Until you unsubscribe
• After Unsubscribe: Deleted within 30 days
• Inactive Accounts: 2 years (we'll ask if you want to stay)
• Email Engagement Data: 3 years for analytics
• Legal/Financial Records: 7 years for UAE tax compliance

Your data may be transferred to and stored in:

• United States: Beehiiv servers (GDPR Standard Contractual Clauses)
• European Union: Beehiiv EU servers (GDPR adequate protection)
• UAE: Our backups (local data residency)

All transfers comply with UAE PDPL, GDPR, and use approved protective mechanisms to ensure your data stays safe.

We use minimal cookies for:

• 📊 Google Analytics (website traffic analysis)
• 🔐 Session management (keeping you logged in)
• 📈 Performance optimization

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling them won't affect newsletter delivery.

Habibi Headlines is designed for business professionals aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 16. If we discover we have, we'll delete it immediately.

Parents: Contact us at [email protected] if concerned.

This Privacy Policy complies with:

• UAE: Personal Data Protection Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 45/2021), DIFC Data Protection Law No. 5 of 2020, ADGM Data Protection Regulations 2021
• Saudi Arabia: Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) 2024
• Qatar: Law No. 13 of 2016 on Personal Data Privacy
• EU/EEA: General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
• UK: UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018
• US: CAN-SPAM Act, CCPA (California), and state privacy laws

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we'll:

• ✉️ Email you at least 30 days in advance
• 📝 Update the "Last Updated" date above
• 🔗 Post the new version at this URL

Continued use of our service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

For questions about this Privacy Policy or to exercise your rights:

• Privacy Concerns: [email protected]
• General Inquiries: [email protected]
• Website: habibiheadlines.com
• Address: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Response time: Within 30 days (we aim for much faster)