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<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="A2"><span XSSCleaned="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The session, which was part of the IBC Legal conference, was held at the Sofitel Dubai on 23 and 24 September 2013, and was attended by in-house counsel representing a diverse variety of corporate clients, ranging from the retail sector to the pharmaceutical industry. The dialogue started with an overview of the UAE as an example of a typical GCC jurisdiction, and touched on Oman, the Dubai International Financial Centre and the Qatar Financial Centre, as examples of jurisdictions exhibiting sophisticated approaches to data protection. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="A2"><span XSSCleaned="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Examples of the types of data protection queries that international clients often raise, and the types of advice that might apply in Middle East jurisdictions, provided further talking points. The session concluded with a broad discussion on the possibility of developments in data protection in the region, and what corporate clients can do to try to &lsquo;future proof&rsquo; their data protection practices and policies. With participants from jurisdictions as diverse as Oman, Kuwait, Pakistan, the UK and Switzerland, the range of experiences provided a fascinating context for the discussion.</span></span></p>
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