Privacy Policy

1. Introduction and Acceptance of Terms

Introduction: Welcome to the digital platforms of the National Center for Meteorology (NCM). In line with our commitment to protecting the privacy of our users and ensuring the confidentiality of their personal data, we have established this policy to clarify how we collect, use, and protect your data in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

This policy aims to provide a clear understanding of the objectives and purposes for processing your personal data, the entities with which it may be shared, and the security measures in place to protect your information.

Your continued use of the NCM website constitutes explicit acceptance of this policy. We strongly recommend reviewing it carefully. If you have any inquiries or wish to exercise your rights regarding your personal data, please contact us using the communication channels outlined in this policy.

Acceptance of Terms through Use:

By using this website, you explicitly agree to all the terms and conditions set forth in this Privacy Policy and the Terms of Use. If you do not agree to any of these terms, you must immediately discontinue using the website.

2. Right to Modify the Policy:

The National Center for Meteorology (NCM) reserves the right to modify or update this policy at any time. Any modifications will be announced on the website, and your continued use of our digital platforms after such changes shall constitute your explicit acceptance of the revised policy.

2. Purpose of Collecting Personal Data

The National Center for Meteorology collects personal data to improve meteorological services and provide a better user experience. The purposes of data collection include:

Communicating with users to respond to inquiries and feedback.
Providing customized services such as weather alerts and warnings.
Enhancing and improving the website, applications, and related platforms.
Complying with applicable data protection and cybersecurity regulations

3. Types of Personal Data Collected

Depending on your use of NCM’s digital services, we may collect the following data:

Basic contact information: Name, email, and mobile number.
Geolocation data: If location-based services (e.g., weather alerts) are enabled.
Technical data: IP address, browser type, device type, and browsing history on the NCM website.
Other information: Data that may be required under specific circumstances and will be disclosed to you prior to collection.

4. Methods of Data Collection

We collect your personal data through various means, including:

Electronic forms available on the NCM website.
Automated data collection technologies, such as cookies and web beacons.
Direct communication via email, phone calls, or official communication channels.

5. Storage of Personal Data

The National Center for Meteorology ensures that your personal data is stored in a secure environment, through:

Secure servers that comply with Saudi cybersecurity standards.
Backup systems that enable data recovery in case of a technical failure.
Internal policies restricting access to data only to authorized personnel for operational purposes.

6. Data Processing

Personal data is processed using appropriate technical and security measures, following the regulations set by the National Data Management Office (NDMO) and other relevant authorities in Saudi Arabia.
The collected data is used exclusively for the stated purposes or for any additional purposes explicitly authorized by the user or permitted by law.
NCM does not use personal data for marketing or commercial purposes without obtaining prior explicit consent, where required by law.

7. Data Disposal

The National Center for Meteorology is committed to deleting, destroying, or anonymizing personal data once the retention purpose is fulfilled, or upon receiving an official request from the data subject. The disposal is carried out using appropriate technical and administrative methods to prevent data retrieval.

8. Data Subject Rights & How to Exercise Them

Under Saudi Arabia’s Personal Data Protection Law, data subjects have the following rights:

Right to be informed: You have the right to know how your personal data is collected and processed before or at the time of collection.
Right to access: You can request access to your personal data and information about its use.
Right to receive your data: You may request a readable copy of your personal data stored by NCM, subject to technical feasibility.
Right to correct your data: You can request corrections or modifications to any inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
Right to delete your data: You can request the deletion of your personal data when there is no legitimate reason for its retention, subject to legal exceptions.
Right to withdraw consent: If your data processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time, without affecting the legality of prior processing.
Exercising your rights: To exercise any of these rights, please contact us through the communication channels provided on our official website. We may request additional verification before processing your request.

9. Legal Basis for Data Collection

NCM collects personal data based on legal grounds, including:

Compliance with Saudi Arabia’s Personal Data Protection Law and relevant regulations.
Public interest, enabling NCM to fulfill its mandate of providing accurate meteorological services that safeguard public safety and protect lives and property.
Service improvement, ensuring high-quality user experience and operational continuity.

10. Mandatory vs. Optional Data Collection

Mandatory Data Collection: Some data is required to deliver essential services (e.g., weather alerts). Failure to provide this data may prevent NCM from delivering the requested service.
Optional Data Collection: Some data is optional and only used to enhance services. Refusing to provide such data may limit certain functionalities but will not entirely prevent access to services.

11. Data Disclosure & Processing Outside Saudi Arabia

Entities That May Receive Data:

Government agencies with legal authority (e.g., national security or crisis management authorities).
Technical service providers or consultants contracted with NCM, who must adhere to the same confidentiality and security standards.

Cross-Border Data Processing:

As a general rule, data processing occurs within Saudi Arabia.
If data processing outside Saudi Arabia is required, it is conducted in compliance with official regulations and coordination with the National Data Management Office (NDMO).

12. Risks of Not Providing Personal Data

Failure to provide certain personal data may result in:

Not receiving weather alerts: If essential contact details (such as phone number or location) are missing, you may not receive timely meteorological warnings.
Limited experience: Some website features may be restricted due to missing optional data.
Service unavailability: Some services may be entirely unavailable if required data is not provided.

Important Links

Sdaya's official website
Controls and specifications for national data management, governance, and personal data protection
Personal data protection system and its implementing regulations
Rules for the work of committees examining violations of the provisions of the Personal Data Protection System and its regulations
Guide to personal data destruction, anonymization and encryption
Guide for cases of disclosure of personal data
Procedural guide for handling personal data leakage incidentsGuidelines on Data Breach Handling

Contact Information

If you have any inquiries regarding this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your data rights (access, correction, deletion), you can contact us through:
Email: DMO@ncm.gov.sa
Phone: +966-12-423-7000
Address: P.O. Box 1358, Jeddah 21431, Saudi Arabia
Last Updated: January 15, 2025

By continuing to use our website, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to this policy.
Disclaimer: NCM holds no responsibility for the privacy policies applied to external links available on the website.