THE FRAMEWORK
How the assessment works
The Planaletix Data Ethics & Privacy Compliance Assessment (DEP) is a structured, evidence-based maturity evaluation designed to measure how systematically and effectively an organization governs the ethical use of personal data and maintains compliance with the applicable data protection framework across the GCC. It is grounded in practitioner-led advisory experience and aligned with regional data protection legislation, international privacy standards and emerging AI ethics governance frameworks.
Many organizations began their compliance journey in response to UAE Federal Law No. 45 of 2021 (PDPL), the Saudi PDPL, the DIFC Data Protection Law 2020 and equivalent legislation — but most approach it as a legal and IT function rather than an organizational governance and ethics capability. The DEP repositions data ethics and privacy compliance as a strategic competence that builds stakeholder trust, enables data-intensive commercial models and protects organizations from the enforcement trajectory GCC supervisory authorities are pursuing.
It answers the question every CDO, DPO, Chief Compliance Officer and board risk committee should be asking: are we managing personal data in a way that is genuinely compliant, demonstrably ethical and sustainably governed — or are we accumulating regulatory exposure and trust deficits that are invisible today but consequential tomorrow?
10 DIMENSIONS · 100 QUESTIONS
Explore the dimensions and maturity levels
WHO IT IS FOR
Built for the leaders accountable for personal data
The DEP is designed for the leaders accountable for how an organization collects, uses and protects personal data:
- Chief Data Officers and Data Protection Officers requiring an independent maturity baseline to measure progress and prioritize remediation
- Chief Compliance Officers and General Counsel teams assessing regulatory exposure across the GCC data protection landscape
- CEOs and Managing Directors assessing privacy maturity before investing in AI, analytics and data monetization
- CIOs and CTOs evaluating the privacy implications of cloud migration, AI deployment and data platforms
- Chief Risk Officers and Audit Committees requiring an independent view of data protection risk and ethics governance
- Boards and investment committees in financial services, healthcare, telecommunications and government
- Private equity firms and strategic investors assessing privacy governance in due diligence and M&A
- GCC government entities ensuring citizen data meets national data protection standards and public trust expectations
The DEP evaluates maturity at the organizational level — all significant personal data processing, including customer, employee and supplier data — not a single regulation, system, data category or business unit. It applies across all GCC jurisdictions and sectors, with benchmarks, regulatory references and enforcement examples calibrated to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman. For multi-jurisdictional organizations, scope is defined explicitly before administration.
STANDARDS ALIGNMENT
Mapped to the laws and standards you are measured against
The framework draws from and aligns with international standards and GCC data protection legislation:
- ISO/IEC 27701:2019 — Privacy Information Management Systems
- ISO/IEC 29100:2011 — the eleven privacy principles underpinning ethical design criteria
- NIST Privacy Framework v1.0 and IEEE 7000-2021 (ethics-centred system design)
- UAE PDPL (Federal Law No. 45 of 2021)
- DIFC Data Protection Law 2020 and ADGM Data Protection Regulations 2021
- Saudi Arabia PDPL (Royal Decree M/19), Qatar Law No. 13 of 2016 and Bahrain PDPL (Law No. 30 of 2018)
- EU GDPR — for organizations processing EU data subjects' data
- OECD Privacy Guidelines and OECD AI Principles
WAYS TO TAKE IT
Two ways to take the assessment
THE FRAMEWORK AT A GLANCE
Data Ethics & Privacy: all 10 dimensions
- D1 Data Ethics Governance & Leadership — 14%
- D2 Data Protection & Regulatory Compliance — 16%
- D3 Personal Data Collection & Consent Management — 12%
- D4 Data Subject Rights Management — 10%
- D5 AI & Algorithmic Ethics — 11%
- D6 Data Sharing, Transfers & Third-Party Risk — 10%
- D7 Privacy by Design & Data Minimization — 10%
- D8 Data Breach Response & Incident Management — 9%
- D9 Ethics Culture, Training & Awareness — 5%
- D10 Data Monetization Ethics & Fairness — 3%
QUESTIONS
Frequently asked questions
What does the assessment cover?
Ten weighted dimensions: ethics governance, regulatory compliance, collection and consent, data subject rights, AI and algorithmic ethics, sharing and third-party risk, privacy by design, breach response, ethics culture and training, and data monetization ethics — 100 structured questions in total.
How is the score calculated?
Each dimension is scored on a five-level maturity scale and weighted into an overall score. Data Protection & Regulatory Compliance is a Critical Threshold Dimension that caps the overall level if it falls below the threshold.
Which laws does it cover?
UAE PDPL, DIFC DPL, ADGM DPR, Saudi PDPL, Qatar and Bahrain data protection law, and GDPR where EU data subjects are involved — assessed together for multi-jurisdictional organizations.
What do we receive?
An executive summary with priorities, a maturity profile, per-dimension findings, sector and regional benchmarking, and a 6–12 month action plan with the top five priorities, a capability roadmap, governance and operating-model and resourcing recommendations.
Online or with a consultant?
Take the online self-assessment (USD 3,500) or ask for a consultation assessment scoped to your organization. Contact info@planaletix.com for a consultation.