Privacy Policy

The Dev Studio ("we", "us") operates thedevstudio.ae. This policy explains what personal data we collect from visitors and clients, why, how long we keep it and the rights you have. It is written to align with the UAE Personal Data Protection Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021, "PDPL") and, where applicable, the UK and EU GDPR for clients outside the UAE.

Who we are

The Dev Studio is a web design and development agency founded in 2011. Our international site is thedevstudio.net. For data-protection questions contact syed@thedevstudio.net or WhatsApp +971 52 588 5394. [Registered entity, licence number and registered address to be added.]

What we collect and why

• Enquiries. When you use the contact form, WhatsApp, email or a free tool's "email me the report" option, we collect your name, phone number, email address, website address, the service you are interested in and your message. We use this to reply, prepare a proposal and, if you become a client, deliver the work. Legal basis: taking steps at your request before a contract, and our legitimate interest in responding to enquiries.
• Free tools. The AI SEO Checker and UAE Website Checker fetch the public web page you enter once to run the checks. We do not store a copy of your page. We keep a short-lived record of the IP address and URL checked (up to 24 hours) to prevent abuse.
• Traffic attribution. Form submissions include the channel and campaign that brought you to the site (for example "Google organic" or a UTM campaign) so we can measure which marketing works.
• Analytics. We use Google Analytics 4 and the Meta Pixel to understand how the site is used and to measure advertising. These set cookies and collect your IP address, device information and pages viewed. Non-essential cookies are only set with your consent where required.
• Server logs. Our hosting provider records IP addresses, browser type, referring pages and timestamps for security and performance, retained for a limited period.

Who we share data with

We share personal data only with the service providers needed to run the site and respond to you: our hosting and email delivery providers (Vercel, Brevo), analytics and advertising platforms (Google, Meta) and, for clients, the tools used to deliver projects. We do not sell personal data. Some providers process data outside the UAE; where they do, we rely on their contractual safeguards and, for UAE residents, the cross-border transfer rules of the PDPL.

How long we keep it

Enquiry records are kept for up to 24 months after our last contact, or for the duration of the client relationship plus the period required for tax and legal records (typically 5 years in the UAE). Tool-check logs are deleted within 24 hours. Analytics data is retained according to the platform's settings (14 months for GA4).

Your rights

Under the PDPL you can ask us to access, correct, delete or restrict the personal data we hold about you, object to processing, request a copy in a portable format and withdraw consent where processing is based on consent. Email syed@thedevstudio.net; we respond within one month. You may also complain to the UAE Data Office or, for GDPR matters, your local supervisory authority.

Cookies

Essential cookies keep the site working. Analytics and advertising cookies (Google Analytics, Meta Pixel) are used to measure traffic and campaigns. You can block cookies in your browser settings; the site will still work.

Children

Our services are for businesses. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 18.

Changes

We will update this page when our practices change and show the date of the last update above.