Manama: The Personal Data Protection Authority (PDPA) announced that 25 internal data protection officers, registered in the Data Protection Officers' registry, have completed the specialised foundational course in personal data. The course was designed and implemented in cooperation with the Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF) and the Judicial and Legal Studies Institute (JLSI).
According to Bahrain News Agency, the course is part of the PDPA's plan to prepare and qualify officers with the necessary legal and technical knowledge, supporting them in performing their core duties prescribed by law, enhancing institutional compliance with the Personal Data Protection Law, and strengthening oversight, monitoring, and privacy protection within entities and organisations.
The Authority explained that the course forms part of its strategic plan for privacy protection and data management. It also requires sectors classified by the Authority as "high risk" in data processing to appoint certified data protection officers.
The duties of data protection officers include assisting the Data Controller in implementing the rights and obligations established by law, verifying compliance with data processing in accordance with issued regulations and decisions, and notifying the authorities of any violations that may occur.
The PDPA confirmed that this group will be followed by additional batches to train new data protection officers. It emphasised the continuation of training and development programmes to achieve a safe and sustainable environment, ensuring an adequate level of legal and technical protection of personal data, in line with international standards and legislation, while safeguarding individuals' rights and privacy.