Bahrain Personal Data Protection Law

Bahrain PDPL compliance guide

Bahrain's Personal Data Protection Law (Law No. 30 of 2018) establishes comprehensive data protection requirements. Whether you're a Bahrain-based entity or process data of Bahrain residents, we help you achieve full compliance with clear processes and evidence.

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What is Bahrain PDPL?

The Bahrain Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL), also known as Law No. 30 of 2018, is Bahrain's comprehensive data protection legislation. It came into effect on August 1, 2019, and establishes the legal framework for processing personal data in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Supervisory authority: The law is overseen by the Personal Data Protection Authority (PDPA), operating under the Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs, and Waqf. The PDPA has enforcement powers including investigations, audits, and penalty imposition.

In force since

August 1, 2019

Legal status

Mandatory law with penalties

Aligns with GDPR principles and complements Saudi PDPL and UAE PDPL.

Who needs to comply?

Bahrain-based organizations

Any entity processing personal data in Bahrain

Data controllers

Entities determining purposes and means of processing

Data processors

Service providers processing data on behalf of controllers

Foreign entities

Organizations offering goods/services to Bahrain residents

Financial institutions

Banks, insurers, and payment processors in Bahrain

Healthcare providers

Hospitals, clinics processing patient health data

How VerifyWise supports Bahrain PDPL compliance

Comprehensive capabilities addressing each requirement of the law

Personal data inventory and mapping

Register all processing activities with structured metadata covering purpose, legal basis, data categories and retention periods. The platform maintains the processing register that Bahrain PDPL Article 7 requires.

Addresses: Article 7: Processing records and transparency obligations

Consent management and legal basis tracking

Capture and document consent with timestamp, purpose and withdrawal mechanisms. Track alternative legal bases for processing and maintain evidence of lawful processing foundation.

Addresses: Article 5: Lawful processing conditions and consent requirements

Data subject rights fulfillment

Manage access requests, rectification, erasure and objection workflows with built-in response timelines. Generate reports demonstrating compliance with data subject rights obligations.

Addresses: Articles 8-13: Data subject rights (access, rectification, erasure, objection)

Security measures documentation

Document technical and organizational security measures protecting personal data. Maintain evidence of encryption, access controls, pseudonymization and security policies.

Addresses: Article 6: Security and protection obligations

Data breach incident management

Track data breaches with structured workflows for notification to the Personal Data Protection Authority and affected data subjects. Maintain incident timeline and remediation evidence.

Addresses: Article 21: Data breach notification requirements

Cross-border transfer compliance

Document cross-border data transfers with adequacy decisions, standard contractual clauses or binding corporate rules. Track transfer mechanisms and maintain transfer impact assessments.

Addresses: Article 19: Cross-border data transfer restrictions

All processing activities are tracked with timestamps, legal basis documentation and approval workflows. This audit trail demonstrates compliance with PDPL obligations and provides evidence for Personal Data Protection Authority inquiries.

Complete Bahrain PDPL requirements coverage

VerifyWise provides dedicated controls for all key PDPL obligations

PDPL compliance controls

Controls with dedicated tooling

100%

Coverage across all categories

Lawful processing8/8

Consent, legitimate interest, legal obligations

Data subject rights6/6

Access, rectification, erasure, objection, portability

Security & protection7/7

Technical and organizational measures

Accountability5/5

Documentation, DPO, breach notification

Built for Bahrain PDPL compliance

Article-level mapping

Controls mapped to specific PDPL articles and obligations

Data subject portal

Self-service portal for rights requests and consent management

PDPA reporting

Generate reports for Personal Data Protection Authority audits

GCC multi-jurisdiction

Unified compliance for Bahrain, Saudi, UAE, Qatar DPLs

Six key data protection principles

Core principles that govern all personal data processing under Bahrain PDPL

Lawfulness, fairness & transparency

Process personal data lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner. Data subjects must be informed about processing.

Key requirements

• Lawful basis for processing
• Clear privacy notices
• Transparent communication

Purpose limitation

Collect personal data for specified, explicit and legitimate purposes. No further processing incompatible with those purposes.

Key requirements

• Specified purposes
• Explicit documentation
• Compatible use only

Data minimization

Collect only personal data that is adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary for the processing purposes.

Key requirements

• Necessity assessment
• Proportionate collection
• Regular reviews

Accuracy

Ensure personal data is accurate and kept up to date. Inaccurate data must be erased or rectified without delay.

Key requirements

• Data verification
• Update mechanisms
• Correction procedures

Storage limitation

Retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected.

Key requirements

• Retention schedules
• Deletion procedures
• Archive policies

Integrity & confidentiality

Process personal data securely using appropriate technical and organizational measures.

Key requirements

• Security measures
• Access controls
• Confidentiality protections

Data subject rights

Six fundamental rights that Bahrain PDPL grants to individuals

Right to access

Data subjects can request confirmation of whether their personal data is being processed and obtain a copy of the data.

Timeline: Within 30 days of request

• Confirm processing
• Provide data copy
• Disclose purposes and recipients

Right to rectification

Data subjects can request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.

Timeline: Without undue delay

• Verify accuracy
• Make corrections
• Notify third parties if applicable

Right to erasure

Data subjects can request deletion of personal data when it is no longer necessary or consent is withdrawn.

Timeline: Without undue delay

• Evaluate erasure grounds
• Delete data
• Notify processors

Right to object

Data subjects can object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes.

Timeline: Immediate for marketing

• Honor objection
• Cease processing
• Document decision

Right to withdraw consent

Data subjects can withdraw consent at any time when processing is based on consent.

Timeline: Immediate effect

• Easy withdrawal
• Stop processing
• Maintain withdrawal record

Right to data portability

Data subjects can request their data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.

Timeline: Within 30 days of request

• Structured format
• Machine-readable
• Transfer to another controller if feasible

20-week implementation roadmap

A practical path to Bahrain PDPL compliance with clear milestones

Phase 1Weeks 1-4

Data discovery & mapping

Conduct data inventory across systems
Map data flows and processing activities
Identify legal basis for each processing
Document data categories and retention

Phase 2Weeks 5-8

Governance & policies

Appoint Data Protection Officer if required
Develop privacy policies and notices
Create data subject rights procedures
Establish data breach response plan

Phase 3Weeks 9-14

Security & controls

Implement technical security measures
Deploy access controls and encryption
Establish data retention procedures
Create cross-border transfer mechanisms

Phase 4Weeks 15-20

Operationalization

Train workforce on PDPL obligations
Implement consent management tools
Test data subject rights workflows
Conduct compliance audit and remediation

Penalties & enforcement

Significant penalties for non-compliance

Bahrain PDPL provides for both imprisonment and monetary fines. The Personal Data Protection Authority has enforcement powers including investigations, audits, and penalty imposition.

high severity

Processing without lawful basis

Imprisonment and/or fine up to BHD 20,000

high severity

Failure to notify data breach

Imprisonment and/or fine up to BHD 10,000

high severity

Unauthorized cross-border transfer

Imprisonment and/or fine up to BHD 15,000

medium severity

Denying data subject rights

Fine up to BHD 5,000

medium severity

Inadequate security measures

Fine up to BHD 10,000

medium severity

Failure to maintain records

Fine up to BHD 3,000

Important: Penalties may include both imprisonment and fines. Courts may also order cessation of unlawful processing, data deletion, and publication of violations. The Personal Data Protection Authority conducts regular audits and investigations.

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Policy templates

Bahrain PDPL policy templates

Access ready-to-use data protection policy templates aligned with Bahrain PDPL requirements

Core policies

• Privacy Policy Template
• Data Processing Agreement
• Consent Management Policy
• Data Retention Policy
• Privacy Notice Template
• Cookie Policy
+ 5 more policies

Rights & procedures

• Data Subject Rights Procedure
• Access Request Process
• Rectification Procedure
• Erasure Request Process
• Objection Handling
• Data Portability Procedure
+ 4 more procedures

Security & compliance

• Data Security Policy
• Breach Notification Procedure
• Cross-Border Transfer Policy
• DPO Charter Template
• Third-Party Due Diligence
• PDPA Audit Preparation
+ 3 more policies

Browse all policy templates

How Bahrain PDPL compares

Understanding the relationship between Bahrain PDPL and other major data protection laws

Aspect	Bahrain PDPL	GDPR	Saudi PDPL
Scope	Personal data processing in Bahrain	EU residents' data worldwide	Personal data processing in Saudi Arabia
Legal status	Law No. 30 of 2018 (mandatory)	EU Regulation 2016/679 (mandatory)	Royal Decree M/19 (mandatory)
Effective date	August 1, 2019	May 25, 2018	September 14, 2023
Penalties	Up to BHD 20,000 + imprisonment	Up to €20M or 4% revenue	Up to SAR 3M
DPO requirement	Required for certain controllers	Required for public authorities/large-scale	Required for certain entities
Breach notification	Notification to authority and subjects	72 hours to authority, notify subjects	Within 72 hours to authority
Cross-border transfers	Adequacy decision or safeguards required	Adequacy decision or appropriate safeguards	Adequacy assessment or approved mechanism
Consent age	Parental consent for minors under 18	16 years (EU member states may lower to 13)	Parental consent for minors
Supervisory authority	Personal Data Protection Authority	National Data Protection Authorities	Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA)

Pro tip: Organizations operating across the GCC should implement unified compliance programs.Saudi PDPL,UAE PDPL, andQatar PIPLshare similar principles with Bahrain PDPL.

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Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Bahrain PDPL compliance

The Bahrain Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) is Law No. 30 of 2018, which came into effect on August 1, 2019. It regulates the processing of personal data in Bahrain and establishes data protection rights for individuals. The law is supervised by the Personal Data Protection Authority under the Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs, and Waqf. Visit the official PDPA website for complete details.

Bahrain PDPL applies to any organization that processes personal data in Bahrain, regardless of whether the organization is based in Bahrain. This includes data controllers, data processors, and foreign entities offering goods or services to Bahrain residents. Both public and private sector organizations must comply.

Personal data is any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person. This includes names, identification numbers, location data, online identifiers, and factors specific to physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity. Special categories of sensitive data (health, biometric, racial origin, religious beliefs) have additional protections.

Consent is one of several lawful bases for processing personal data under Article 5. Processing is also lawful when necessary for contract performance, legal obligation compliance, vital interests protection, public interest tasks, or legitimate interests (except for children's data). Consent must be freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous. For sensitive data, explicit consent is required.

Article 21 requires data controllers to notify the Personal Data Protection Authority of data breaches without undue delay. If the breach is likely to result in high risk to data subjects' rights and freedoms, the controller must also notify affected individuals directly. Notification should include the nature of the breach, likely consequences, and remedial measures taken.

Article 22 requires certain data controllers to appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO). This includes public authorities, entities whose core activities involve large-scale systematic monitoring, or large-scale processing of sensitive data. The DPO must have expert knowledge of data protection law and practices and operate independently.

Article 19 restricts cross-border data transfers. Transfers are permitted to countries with adequate data protection levels (as determined by the Personal Data Protection Authority), or when appropriate safeguards are in place such as binding corporate rules, standard contractual clauses, or approved codes of conduct. Specific consent can also justify transfers in certain circumstances.

Bahrain PDPL shares many principles with GDPR, including lawfulness, transparency, purpose limitation, data minimization and security. Key differences include territorial scope (Bahrain vs. EU), penalty levels (up to BHD 20,000 vs. up to €20M/4% revenue), and some procedural differences in breach notification timelines and DPO appointment requirements. Organizations operating in both jurisdictions should align their compliance programs.

Bahrain PDPL provides for both imprisonment and monetary fines depending on the violation. Penalties can reach up to BHD 20,000 for serious violations like processing without lawful basis or unauthorized cross-border transfers. Failure to notify breaches can result in fines up to BHD 10,000. Courts may also order cessation of unlawful processing and data deletion.

Article 6 requires that personal data be retained only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected. Organizations must establish retention schedules based on legal requirements, contractual obligations, and legitimate business needs. Data must be securely deleted or anonymized when no longer needed, unless retention is required by law.

Article 6 mandates appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect personal data against unauthorized access, destruction, loss, alteration or disclosure. Required measures depend on the nature and risks of processing but typically include encryption, access controls, pseudonymization, regular security testing, and incident response procedures.

Bahrain PDPL is part of a broader GCC movement toward comprehensive data protection. Similar laws exist in Saudi Arabia (PDPL), UAE (PDPL), and Qatar (PIPL). These laws share common principles but differ in scope, penalties, and specific requirements. Organizations operating across the GCC should implement unified compliance programs addressing all applicable laws.

Yes, VerifyWise provides dedicated Bahrain PDPL compliance modules including personal data inventory, consent management, data subject rights workflows, breach notification procedures, and cross-border transfer documentation. Our platform maps controls to specific PDPL articles and generates evidence for regulatory audits and Personal Data Protection Authority inquiries.

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