Article 30 of the Saudi Rights of Persons with Disabilities Law

This article addresses an important organizational matter, data, and requires the Disability Care Authority to establish a comprehensive statistical database on persons with disabilities.

Provisions on the database:

• Establishment: the Authority establishes it in coordination with the relevant bodies.
• Nature: it is a unified reference that is accessible.
• Purpose: to ensure unifying efforts and improving the quality of the services provided.
• Safeguard: this must be in accordance with the provisions regulating the protection of personal data.

The practical aim is that different bodies, health, educational, social and others, work from a single reference, so that efforts are not duplicated or in conflict, and services can be planned on the basis of accurate information.

Linking the database to the provisions on protecting personal data means that making it accessible does not mean revealing individuals' data without controls; it is subject to the provisions regulating that. The article does not state who has the right to access the database or the limits of that.

This article comes after Article 29, which provides that the Law does not prejudice any better rights or services in another law or an agreement to which the Kingdom is a party, and before Article 31, which provides that the Authority's board of directors issues the Regulations within 120 days of the date of issuance of the Law, after coordinating with the relevant bodies.

Anyone with a question about the use of their data can consult a lawyer specializing in the rights of persons with disabilities or in administrative cases.