DIFC Joins Global CBPR Forum And Global CAPE To Strengthen Cross-Border Privacy And Digital Economy

Dubai International Financial Centre has become a member of the Global Cross-Border Privacy Rules Forum, strengthening its role in international data protection. The move supports secure cross-border data flows, global digital trade, and the UAE Digital Economy Strategy, while aligning with the needs of businesses and individuals handling personal information worldwide.

The membership means Dubai International Financial Centre is also part of the Global Cooperation Arrangement for Privacy Enforcement. This improves coordination with overseas privacy regulators and supports trusted data transfers. It also positions Dubai International Financial Centre as a regional hub for consistent, interoperable privacy standards across financial services and other digital sectors.

Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer of DIFC Authority, commented, "Becoming the first jurisdiction in the region to receive Global Cross-Border Privacy Rules membership recognises DIFC’s initiatives to advance data and privacy protection. The digital age, fuelled by global connectivity and technology, means information is ubiquitous and instantly shareable. This results in businesses, particularly in finance, handling unprecedented volumes of individual data electronically and internationally every day. DIFC has established effective laws, regulation and compliance for more than 8,000 registered companies within the Centre, reflecting Dubai’s ongoing commitment to world class standards and its vision to be at the forefront of the digital economy."

The announcement of Dubai International Financial Centre’s Global Cross-Border Privacy Rules Forum membership took place during a recent workshop in the Philippines. This made Dubai International Financial Centre the first jurisdiction outside economies linked to Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation to join the Global Cross-Border Privacy Rules Forum, underlining growing participation from regions beyond the Pacific Rim.

The Global Cross-Border Privacy Rules Forum grew from the Cross-Border Privacy Rules System, which certifies organisations that meet defined standards for international transfers of personal data. That system has operated within Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation since it was set up and creates a recognised mechanism to show compliance with agreed privacy programme requirements.

In 2022, authorities issued the declaration that established the Global Cross-Border Privacy Rules Forum as a broader framework. It is open to jurisdictions worldwide, not only Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation participants. The aim is to support personal data transfers over a wider geographic area and improve how different privacy regimes work together.

Dubai International Financial Centre’s participation in the Global Cross-Border Privacy Rules Forum is expected to help businesses manage diverse international privacy rules. By using shared certification mechanisms, organisations can show compliance more easily in several markets. This supports confidence among customers, regulators and partners that personal data moves securely across borders.

In 2023, Dubai International Financial Centre introduced Regulation 10 for the MEASA region, targeting personal data processing by autonomous and semi-autonomous systems. It applies to artificial intelligence, generative tools and other machine learning technologies, and seeks to bring clarity to how such systems should handle personal information in a responsible way.

Regulation 10 provides a shared space where guidelines from different governments and non-governmental organisations can work together. It encourages a ‘best fit’ approach when applying principles to artificial intelligence development. The framework supports responsible and ethical personal data processing when advanced automated systems operate across several regulatory environments.

Through the Global Cross-Border Privacy Rules Forum membership, participation in the Global Cooperation Arrangement for Privacy Enforcement and Regulation 10, Dubai International Financial Centre is aligning its regime with global practices. These steps are intended to back the digital economy in Dubai, the wider UAE and international markets, while maintaining trust in cross-border personal data handling.

With inputs from WAM