Privacy Policy

1. Who we are and what this policy covers

This Privacy Policy describes the handling of personal information through www.uae-shipping.net (“UAE Shipping Directory”, “the website”, “we” or “us”). It covers directory browsing, listing submissions and updates, reviews where available, communications, and the website’s analytics and advertising services.

Privacy enquiries can be sent to team@uae-shipping.net or our Contact page.

Listed businesses and linked websites handle information under their own policies. This notice does not describe their shipment, employment, customer or payment records.

2. Information we collect

If account functions are offered, registration and account-administration information is also processed for those functions. Please use public business contact details for profile fields and avoid unnecessary sensitive information in descriptions, messages or uploads.

Location selection can supply coordinates for a company address. If you choose “Use my location”, your browser may request permission to access your device location. Camera access is requested when you choose to capture a business-card photo. You can refuse permission and use other available input methods.

3. Public listings and private submission details

Published listing fields are intended to be visible to visitors and searchable online. They may be indexed or copied by search engines and other third parties. A business email, mobile number or sole trader’s address may also be personal information, even when used for work.

Details supplied specifically to administer a submission are handled separately from the public company fields. Do not place a private contact address in a public field unless you want it published. Review text and the display name associated with a published review may also be public.

Removal from our website does not automatically remove previously cached or copied information elsewhere. You may need to approach search engines or other website operators separately.

4. Why we use information

• To create and maintain listings, assess submissions, handle updates, and communicate with authorised business representatives.
• To respond to enquiries and correction requests, and administer available account or contribution features.
• To investigate spam, impersonation, malicious uploads, unauthorised changes and other abuse.
• To operate and maintain the website, diagnose faults and measure usage through configured analytics services.
• To display and measure advertising, subject to applicable requirements and your available privacy choices.
• To meet legal duties, resolve complaints and establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

Where marketing subscriptions are offered, the subscription notice explains the messages you are choosing to receive. You can use an unsubscribe link in a marketing message or contact us to withdraw a subscription. Operational replies about a listing or an enquiry are separate from marketing messages.

5. Legal grounds and consent

The grounds for processing depend on the applicable law and purpose. They may include your consent, steps needed to provide a requested service, compliance with a legal obligation, or a legitimate interest where that ground is recognised and the processing meets the relevant conditions.

Where consent is required, it must relate to the stated purpose. Browsing the website, accepting our Terms of Use or submitting a listing does not automatically provide consent for unrelated marketing or all optional tracking. You can withdraw consent through the relevant preference control or by contacting us. Withdrawal does not affect processing lawfully carried out before it.

6. Verification, translation and automated assistance

Submitted company details and supporting materials may be processed using automated or AI-assisted tools to compare information, prepare descriptions and translate content. Relevant text or images may therefore be processed by the service providers supporting those tools.

Automated processing can introduce incorrect matches, wording or translations. If you believe a submission has been rejected incorrectly or a published description is inaccurate, contact us with the relevant record and correction. Do not upload confidential documents or personal details that are unnecessary for business verification.

7. When information is disclosed

Information may be disclosed in the following circumstances:

• Public publication: company profile fields and approved public contributions are accessible to website visitors.
• Service delivery: hosting, email, security, mapping, analytics, advertising and automated-processing providers receive information relevant to their role. Their contractual role and privacy obligations depend on the service used.
• A requested enquiry: if a website feature forwards an enquiry to a company, the recipient receives the information needed for that enquiry, as described when you submit it. A direct email or phone call is handled by the recipient’s own systems.
• Legal and protective purposes: disclosure may occur where lawfully required or needed to address fraud, a security incident, a complaint or legal proceedings.
• Business changes: information may be transferred in a lawful restructuring or transfer of the website, with applicable confidentiality and notification requirements.

Advertising-related data disclosures are described below and in the Cookie Policy. This notice does not treat cookie identifiers or IP addresses as automatically anonymous.

8. Google Analytics and advertising

The website includes Google Analytics and Google AdSense integrations. These services can process information about visits, devices and interactions, including identifiers associated with cookies or similar technologies. Availability and data use depend on the service configuration, location and applicable choices.

Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a visitor’s previous visits to this website or other websites. Google’s advertising cookies enable Google and its partners to serve ads based on visits to this and/or other sites on the internet.

You can manage Google advertising preferences through My Ad Center. Further information is available in Google’s Privacy Policy and its explanation of how Google uses information from partner sites. Participating industry advertising choices are available through the Digital Advertising Alliance.

These external controls supplement the website’s own choices; they do not remove every cookie or stop every kind of advertising. For website categories and browser controls, read our Cookie Policy. Other active advertising providers and their notices are listed in the site’s consent interface or provider disclosures when applicable.

9. International processing

The website is accessible internationally. Providers may operate infrastructure or support services in countries different from your own. The protection available under local law may differ between countries.

Where applicable law restricts international transfers, the transfer must have a permitted basis and any required safeguards. You can contact us for information about the countries, recipients and safeguards relevant to the processing of your information.

10. Retention and security

Retention depends on the record’s purpose. Published business details remain useful while a listing is maintained. Enquiry and verification records are retained for handling requests, resolving issues and relevant legal obligations. Technical logs and provider-held analytics records follow the applicable system settings and operational needs.

Information that is no longer needed should be deleted or anonymised, subject to lawful retention requirements and the normal expiry of restricted backups. A deletion request may not require immediate removal of records needed for a legal duty or a genuine dispute.

We use reasonable safeguards appropriate to the information and the risks. No website or internet transmission can offer an absolute security guarantee. If you suspect unauthorised publication or account access, contact us promptly with enough detail to investigate.

11. Your rights and how to request them

Depending on the law that applies, you may have rights to request access to personal information, correction, deletion, restriction, portability, or objection to particular processing. You may also have the right to withdraw consent, obtain information about automated processing and complain to a competent privacy authority.

Send your request through our Contact page or email, identifying the information concerned. For a listing, include its URL and explain whether you are requesting a public business correction or exercising a personal-data right. We may need proportionate verification of your identity or authority; we will not ask for more information than reasonably needed for that purpose.

Requests are assessed within applicable legal time limits. If a request cannot be fulfilled in full, we will explain the relevant reason and any available next steps. Privacy rights are subject to applicable conditions and exemptions.

Where applicable US state privacy law gives you an advertising opt-out or other rights, you may submit the request through these contact channels. Advertising practices may count as a “sale” or “sharing” under some laws even without a payment for data. Any legally required opt-out link and recognised browser preference signal must be supported by the website’s implemented controls.

12. Children and third-party websites

This is a business directory and industry publication intended for a general business audience. Children should not submit personal information without appropriate permission where required. If you believe a child’s information has been submitted inappropriately, contact us so it can be assessed and removed where required.

Company links, maps, social websites and other external services may have separate privacy notices. Check those notices before providing information or enabling external content. A link from the directory does not make us responsible for another organisation’s processing.

13. Updates and contact

We may revise this policy when website functions, providers or applicable requirements change. The revision date is shown above. Material changes will be communicated as required; an updated policy does not replace any new consent that the law requires.