Abu Dhabi’s renowned international financial center and free zone, Abu Dhabi Global Market’s (ADGM) Office of Data Protection (ODP) has become an accredited member of the Global Privacy Assembly (GPA).
The membership of ODP was announced by the Executive Committee at the Closed Session of the 43rd General Assembly of GPA, which is currently taking place in Mexico City.
The GPA, formerly known as the International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners, is the premier global forum for data protection and privacy authorities connecting the efforts of more than 130 authorities across the globe.
Mr. Dhaher bin Dhaher Al Mheiri, CEO of the ADGM Registration Authority, said, “When the Data Protection Regulations were enacted, and the ODP established, we committed to reinforcing regulatory best practice and providing consistency with other international data protection regimes and that is what we are now proudly fulfilling. The ODP’s commitment to progress data protection standards across the region and beyond is what you are now witnessing.”
Sami Mohammed Commissioner Data Protection ADGM
“Following ADGM’s enactment and implementation of the new Data Protection Regulations, it is with great pride that the ODP has become an accredited member of the GPA. I have personally participated on behalf of ADGM as an observer since the GPA’s 39th meeting in Hong Kong in 2017. Data protection and privacy laws aim to strike the balance between individual rights and business objectives. Our membership in the GPA further affirms ADGM’s stature amongst key international counterparts. Furthermore, it also reinforces our shared commitment on the global stage to protect personal data and safeguard the rights of individuals.”
The ADGM ODP was formally established as a result of ADGM’s enactment of a new set of Data Protection Regulations in 2021, replacing the previous Data Protection Regulations of 2015.
The ODP is a member of key international forums for data protection and privacy, with the GPA accreditation playing a role in its journey and vision of becoming a leading data protection regulator in the Middle East.
The ODP was the first in the Gulf to become a member of the Global Privacy Enforcement Network (GPEN) and the International Enforcement Cooperation Working Group (IECWG). In addition, the ADGM ODP is the only Gulf participant and observer of the Council of Europe’s Committees on Convention 108.
