1. Who we are
Companies in Qatar (companiesinqatar.com) is an online directory of businesses operating in Qatar, with a jobs board and business news. The website is operated from Bulgaria. In this policy, “we”, “us” and “our” mean Companies in Qatar.
We handle personal data in line with Qatar’s Law No. 13 of 2016 on Personal Data Privacy Protection and, where it applies, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). For any privacy question, contact us at office@companiesinqatar.com.
2. Information we collect
Information you give us
- Contact form: your name, business name, email address, phone number, the category you select and your message.
- Business listing submissions: business name, category, address, phone, website, email, description, logo or photos, and the name and contact details of the person submitting.
- Job posting requests: the employer’s details and the job information you send us.
- Emails and chat messages you send us directly, including through the chat button on the website.
Information collected automatically
- Usage data through Google Analytics, such as pages viewed, time on page, device and browser type, approximate location (city or country) and the site that referred you.
- Security data through Google reCAPTCHA, which checks form submissions for spam and abuse and may process your IP address and how you interact with the page.
- Server logs kept by our hosting provider, such as IP address, date and time of the request, and the page requested, used for security and troubleshooting.
Business information in listings
Listings mainly contain business contact details such as a company’s phone number, address and website. We gather these from the business itself or from publicly available sources such as the company’s official website. If a listing includes details about you personally (for example, as a sole trader), you can ask us to correct or remove them.
3. How we use your information
- To reply to your messages and requests.
- To review, publish, update and remove business listings and job posts.
- To keep the directory accurate and useful.
- To understand how the website is used and improve it.
- To protect the website and its forms against spam, fraud and abuse.
- To meet legal obligations.
We do not sell your personal data.
4. Legal bases for processing
Where the GDPR applies, we rely on:
- Consent, for example when you send us a form or accept analytics cookies. You can withdraw it at any time.
- Steps you ask us to take, such as publishing a listing you submitted.
- Legitimate interests, such as running an accurate directory, measuring website use and preventing abuse.
- Legal obligations, where the law requires us to keep or share information.
6. Third-party websites and embedded content
Listing pages can include embedded Google Maps, and many pages link to business websites, employer careers pages and social media. When you use embedded content or open an external link, that third party may collect data under its own privacy policy. We are not responsible for how third parties handle your data.
7. How long we keep information
- Contact messages: up to 24 months after our last exchange, unless we need them longer for a live listing or a legal reason.
- Listing submissions: for as long as the listing is published, and a reasonable period afterwards.
- Analytics data: according to the retention settings of Google Analytics.
- Server logs: for the limited period set by our hosting provider.
8. How we protect information
The website uses SSL encryption (HTTPS), secure hosting, spam protection and restricted admin access. No online service can be completely secure, but we take reasonable steps to protect your information.
9. International transfers
Companies in Qatar is operated from Bulgaria (European Union), and some of our providers, such as Google, may process data in other countries. Where this happens, we rely on the safeguards those providers offer, such as the European Commission’s standard contractual clauses.
10. Your rights
Depending on the law that applies to you, you can:
- Ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Ask us to correct inaccurate data or to delete your data.
- Object to, or ask us to limit, how we process your data.
- Withdraw your consent at any time.
- Make a complaint to a data protection authority, such as the National Data Privacy Office in Qatar or the Commission for Personal Data Protection in Bulgaria.
To use any of these rights, email office@companiesinqatar.com. We may ask you to confirm your identity first.
11. Children
This website is intended for adults and businesses. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 18. If you believe a child has sent us personal data, please contact us and we will delete it.
12. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy when our website or the law changes. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page shows when it last changed.
13. Contact us
For any question about this policy or your personal data, email office@companiesinqatar.com.