Privacy Policy
Connection Middle East ("Company," "we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy and is dedicated to safeguarding personal data entrusted to us. This Privacy Policy governs the collection, processing, transfer, and retention of personal data in strict compliance with UAE Federal Decree-Law No. (45) of 2021 on Personal Data Protection (PDPL) and applicable international standards.
1. Data Controller & Scope
Connection Middle East operates as a licensed corporate services and management consultancy practice established in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with principal offices located at Office 29C02, 29th Floor, I-Rise Tower, Dubai, UAE.
This Policy applies to all prospective, active, and past clients, website visitors, Ultimate Beneficial Owners (UBOs), directors, authorized signatories, and corporate representatives engaging our services.
2. Categories of Personal Data Collected
In our capacity as a corporate service provider, we collect and process information necessary to execute business formations, licensing, immigration, and banking readiness:
- Identification & Nationality: Passport full copies, national identification cards, Emirates ID cards, residence visas, entry stamps, and passport-standard photographs.
- Contact & Proof of Residence: Permanent residential addresses, recent utility bills, municipal residency certificates, contact telephone numbers, and corporate email coordinates.
- Corporate & Governance Records: Share registers, organizational charts, certificates of incorporation, memoranda and articles of association (MOA/AOA), and board resolutions identifying Ultimate Beneficial Owners (UBOs).
- Financial & Source of Wealth: Bank account statements, audited financial records, tax residency certificates, tax identification numbers (TRN), and verifiable documentation evidencing the legal source of investment capital.
3. Legal Basis and Purpose of Processing
We process your personal information under the lawful bases defined in the UAE Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL): contract execution, statutory compliance, and legitimate operational interests.
- Incorporation & Licensing: Filing registration dossiers with Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and Free Zone Authorities (including DMCC, RAKEZ, IFZA, Meydan, Dubai South, Shams, and others).
- Immigration & Visa Processing: Submitting investor and employment residence visa dossiers to the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) and the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP).
- Banking Readiness & Support: Assembling standardized compliance dossiers and arranging institutional introductions with licensed UAE commercial and private banks.
- Regulatory & AML Compliance: Fulfilling statutory Anti-Money Laundering (AML/CFT) obligations, Know Your Customer (KYC) verifications, and Customer Due Diligence (CDD) under UAE federal statutes.
4. Authorized Disclosures and Third-Party Sharing
Connection Middle East does not sell, lease, or monetize client personal data under any circumstances. Information is disclosed solely on a confidential, need-to-know basis to:
- Competent UAE governmental and licensing departments, economic registries, and free zone authorities.
- The UAE Federal Tax Authority (FTA) for corporate tax and value added tax registration and filing.
- Licensed UAE financial institutions, strictly pursuant to your written instructions and consent.
- Accredited legal translators, statutory auditors, and official public notaries required for document legalization.
5. Cross-Border Data Transfers
Where our international structuring services necessitate cross-border data transfers outside the United Arab Emirates, we implement rigorous contractual safeguards ensuring the destination jurisdiction or receiving entity maintains protection equivalent to the UAE PDPL and international standards.
6. Statutory Retention Period
Pursuant to UAE AML/CFT regulations and regulatory requirements governing Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBPs), client identity records, transactional correspondence, and due diligence dossiers are securely archived for a mandatory minimum statutory period of 5 (five) years following the termination of the business relationship.
Statutory Notice: Retention of customer due diligence records for 5 years is a mandatory federal requirement under UAE Anti-Money Laundering legislation and cannot be waived upon unilateral client request prior to statutory expiry.
7. Data Subject Rights & Contact Channels
Subject to applicable statutory exemptions under UAE law, you possess the right to access, rectify, restrict, or request erasure of your personal data, and to withdraw prior consent.
To exercise your statutory privacy rights or submit inquiries regarding our data handling protocols, contact our designated compliance team at contact@connectionme.ae.
Compliance & Legal Counsel Desk
For statutory inquiries concerning KYC/AML protocols, data subject rights under UAE PDPL, or engagement conditions, contact our designated compliance officer.