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Privacy Policy

 

Last updated: August 29, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how personal data is collected, used, stored and shared when you visit the Saudi HPC/AI Conference website, register for the Conference, submit information or communicate with the organizing team.

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) is responsible for the personal data collected directly through this website unless a specific form or notice identifies another organization as the data controller.

We process personal data in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Law of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, its Implementing Regulations and other applicable requirements.

1. Scope of This Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to personal data collected through:

  • The Saudi HPC/AI Conference website.
  • Conference registration and contact forms.
  • Interest, waiting-list and notification sign-up forms, including the tutorial notification list.
  • Speaker, workshop, competition and participation applications.
  • Sponsorship and exhibition inquiries.
  • Surveys, newsletters and other Conference communications.
  • Conference activities, photographs and recordings where applicable.

External websites and third-party platforms are governed by their own privacy policies.

2. Personal Data We Collect

Information You Provide

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

  • Your name and contact information, including email address and telephone number.
  • Your country, city or general location.
  • Your organization, department, job title, professional status or educational level.
  • Your Conference registration, session, workshop and attendance preferences.
  • Your email address where you ask to be notified about a specific Conference activity, such as when tutorial registration opens, together with the record that you gave your consent and the date it was given.
  • Information needed to prepare invitation letters or administer access to the Conference.
  • Accessibility, dietary or accommodation information that you choose to provide.
  • Speaker biographies, photographs, abstracts, presentations and other submitted materials.
  • Competition, poster, workshop or hackathon application information.
  • Sponsorship, exhibition or partnership information.
  • Your communication preferences and newsletter subscriptions.
  • Questions, feedback, survey responses and correspondence with us.

Payment Information

If payments are available through the website, they may be handled by an authorized payment provider. We may receive transaction details such as the payment status, amount and reference number, but we do not normally receive or store complete payment-card details.

Information Collected Automatically

When you use the website, certain technical information may be collected automatically, including:

  • Internet Protocol address.
  • Browser, device and operating-system information.
  • Pages visited and actions performed on the website.
  • Date, time and duration of visits.
  • Referring website or source.
  • Approximate location derived from technical information.
  • Cookie identifiers and similar technical data.

When you submit a form on this website, the submission may also be stored within our website system in addition to being sent to the organizing team by email, so that we can manage and respond to requests reliably.

Information Received from Other Sources

We may receive personal data from KAUST departments, registration providers, Conference partners or service providers where they are authorized to share it and where the sharing complies with applicable law.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We may use personal data to:

  • Process and confirm Conference registrations.
  • Administer sessions, workshops, exhibitions, competitions and related activities.
  • Contact you when registration opens for an activity you asked to be notified about, such as the Conference tutorials.
  • Estimate expected attendance and plan capacity for sessions and venues.
  • Verify participant eligibility and issue badges or access credentials.
  • Prepare invitation letters where requested.
  • Evaluate speaker, presentation, poster or competition submissions.
  • Publish the Conference program and accepted participant information.
  • Communicate operational information, reminders and schedule changes.
  • Respond to questions, requests and complaints.
  • Manage sponsorships, exhibitors and partnerships.
  • Process transactions and maintain financial records where applicable.
  • Provide accessibility or other requested accommodations.
  • Send news and information about future events where you have requested or consented to such communications.
  • Evaluate and improve the website, Conference and participant experience.
  • Protect the security and integrity of our website, systems and events.
  • Prevent fraud, misuse and unlawful activity.
  • Comply with legal, regulatory, accounting and reporting obligations.

4. Legal Grounds for Processing

Depending on the circumstances, we process personal data based on one or more of the following grounds:

  • Your consent.
  • The steps required to process your registration or provide a requested service.
  • Compliance with legal or regulatory obligations.
  • Protection of public interests or the safety and security of participants.
  • Our legitimate interests, where permitted by applicable law and where your rights and interests are appropriately protected.

Where you join an interest or notification list, the legal ground is your consent, which you give by ticking the consent box on the relevant form. Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal will not affect processing that lawfully occurred before consent was withdrawn.

5. Interest and Notification Lists

Some parts of the Conference open for registration later than others. Where this is the case, the website may offer a short form allowing you to leave your email address so that we can contact you when registration opens. The tutorial notification sign-up on the Program page works in this way.

What We Collect

Only your email address, together with the record that you ticked the consent box and the date and time of your submission. No other personal data is required to join a notification list.

How We Use It

We use your email address only to send you information about the specific activity you asked to be notified about, and to send you the relevant registration form when it becomes available. We may also use the total number of sign-ups, without identifying individuals, to estimate demand and plan capacity.

Joining a notification list does not reserve a place, does not register you for the Conference, and does not add you to any general mailing list. We will not use an address collected in this way to send unrelated promotional material, and we will not share it with sponsors, exhibitors or other third parties for their own purposes.

Consent

The consent box on these forms is never pre-ticked and the form cannot be submitted until you tick it. Ticking the box is your affirmative consent to us storing your email address for the purpose described above.

How Long We Keep It

We keep your address until registration for the relevant activity has closed, until the Conference has taken place, or until you ask us to remove it, whichever happens first. It is then securely deleted.

How to Be Removed

You may withdraw your consent at any time by replying to any email we send you from the list, or by writing to saudihpcai@hpc.kaust.edu.sa. We will remove your address promptly and no explanation is required.

6. Cookies and Similar Technologies

The website may use cookies and similar technologies to operate properly, remember user preferences, understand website performance and improve the visitor experience.

Essential Cookies

These cookies support functions such as website security, form submission, session management and accessibility. They may be necessary for the website to operate correctly.

Preference Cookies

These cookies remember choices such as language or display preferences.

Analytics Cookies

Where enabled, analytics cookies help us understand how visitors use the website, identify technical issues and improve content and navigation.

Marketing and Embedded-Content Cookies

Where enabled, third-party videos, maps, social-media features or marketing services may place cookies or collect technical information according to their own policies.

You can control cookies through the website’s cookie settings, where available, or through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect some website functions.

7. Photographs and Recordings

The Conference may be photographed, filmed or recorded for documentation, educational, communication and promotional purposes.

General event photography may include participants incidentally. When practical, participants who do not wish to appear in identifiable event coverage should inform the organizing team or event staff.

Separate consent may be requested before using interviews, testimonials, portraits or other featured recordings.

8. How We Share Personal Data

We may share personal data only when reasonably necessary with:

  • Relevant KAUST departments and the Conference organizing committee.
  • Registration, website-hosting, email, analytics and technical service providers.
  • Payment processors where payments are available.
  • Venues, security teams and event-management providers.
  • Travel or invitation-letter support providers where requested.
  • Judges, reviewers or committee members evaluating submissions.
  • Sponsors or partners when you have consented to such sharing or have directly requested contact.
  • Government, regulatory, judicial or law-enforcement authorities when required by law.
  • Professional advisers where necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal rights.

Service providers may process personal data only for authorized purposes and are expected to apply appropriate confidentiality and security measures.

We do not sell personal data.

9. International Data Transfers

Some technology or service providers may process information outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Where personal data is transferred internationally, we will apply the requirements and safeguards established by applicable Saudi data protection laws and regulations.

10. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including Conference administration, participant support, legal compliance, financial reporting, security and dispute resolution.

Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information. For example:

  • Registration records may be retained for Conference administration and reporting.
  • Financial records may be retained for the period required by applicable law.
  • Interest and notification list entries are retained until registration for the relevant activity closes, until the Conference has taken place, or until you ask to be removed, whichever happens first.
  • Unsuccessful applications may be deleted or anonymized after the relevant selection process and any required review period.
  • Newsletter information may be retained until you unsubscribe or withdraw your consent.
  • Published Conference programs, photographs and recordings may be retained as part of the Conference’s historical archive.

When personal data is no longer required, it will be securely deleted, destroyed or anonymized, subject to applicable legal requirements.

11. Data Security

We use reasonable administrative, organizational and technical measures designed to protect personal data against unauthorized access, loss, alteration, disclosure or misuse.

However, no website or electronic transmission method can be guaranteed to be completely secure. You are responsible for using secure devices and protecting any account credentials or confirmation information provided to you.

12. Your Personal Data Rights

Subject to applicable law and any lawful exceptions, you may have the right to:

  • Be informed about how your personal data is collected and used.
  • Request access to your personal data.
  • Request a copy of your personal data in a clear and readable format.
  • Request correction, completion or updating of inaccurate personal data.
  • Request the destruction or deletion of personal data when legally permitted.
  • Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent, including removal from any interest or notification list.
  • Object to or request restriction of certain processing where applicable.
  • Submit a complaint concerning the handling of your personal data.

Requests may be sent to saudihpcai@hpc.kaust.edu.sa. We may need to verify your identity before responding to a request. Certain requests may be limited where retaining or processing the information is required by law or necessary to protect the rights of others.

13. Marketing Communications

We will send promotional emails or information about future events only where permitted by law and, where required, with your consent.

You can unsubscribe by using the link included in the communication or by contacting us. Operational messages relating to an active registration may still be sent when necessary.

Emails sent from an interest or notification list are not marketing communications. They are limited to the specific activity you asked about, and joining such a list does not subscribe you to the Conference newsletter or to any other mailing.

14. Children and Minors

The website is primarily intended for professionals, researchers, students and other Conference participants.

Some Conference programs may be open to individuals under the age of 18. Where this applies, additional registration requirements and authorization from a parent or legal guardian may be requested.

If you believe that a minor’s personal data has been submitted without appropriate authorization, please contact us.

15. External Websites

The website may contain links to external websites or services. We are not responsible for the privacy or security practices of those third parties.

We encourage you to review the privacy policy of any external website before providing personal information.

16. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes to the website, Conference activities, data-processing practices or applicable laws.

The revised policy will be published on this page with an updated revision date. Material changes may also be communicated through the website or by email when appropriate.

17. Contact Us

For questions about this Privacy Policy, to exercise your personal data rights, to be removed from a notification list or to submit a privacy complaint, please contact:

Saudi HPC/AI Conference Organizing Team
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)
Thuwal 23955, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Email: saudihpcai@hpc.kaust.edu.sa

Please include sufficient information for us to identify your request and respond appropriately. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may submit a complaint to the competent data protection authority in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, subject to the procedures established by applicable law.