They expertly mapped the overlapping controls between SOC 2 and ISO 27001, which saved us from duplicating work.
Jasreet Kaur B.Silicon Physical Design Engineer · Small-BusinessSOC 2 + ISO 27001 · August 2026
Policies on paper do not survive contact with an SDAIA enquiry — operating evidence does. A TCSA audit tests whether your PDPL programme actually runs as documented: real DSR responses, real consent records, real incident handling, sampled and verified.
Built for programmes that already exist. Starting from zero? Begin with the gap assessment instead.
8audit domains
1,000+audits delivered
72hbreach clock we test
KSA PDPL (SDAIA) · Implementing & Transfer Regulations · Last reviewed June 2026
Direct Answer
Why audit a programme you already built
Because the PDPL is enforced on practice, not paperwork. SDAIA’s violation committees can fine up to SAR 5 million per violation, and the most common failure mode is not a missing policy — it is a policy nobody operates: DSRs answered late, consents that cannot be evidenced, transfers with no lawful pathway, a breach process that has never been drilled against the 72-hour clock. An independent audit finds those failures while they are still cheap to fix.
Key Takeaways
- An audit tests operation, not documentation — sampled DSRs, consent records, DPAs, and incident logs are the evidence base.
- Findings are risk-ranked and tied to specific PDPL and regulation provisions, with a sequenced corrective-action plan.
- There is no general SDAIA-issued PDPL certification — independent audit plus ISO 27701 is how mature programmes evidence compliance.
- Annual auditing is the baseline, while higher-risk controllers audit semi-annually and after material change.
Audit Scope
Eight domains, tested on evidence
RoPA accuracy
Records of processing tested against reality: do documented purposes, recipients, retention periods, and transfers match what systems actually do?
Notices & consent in operation
Not whether notices exist — whether they are served at every collection point, and whether consent records would survive an SDAIA enquiry.
DSR logs & response times
Actual request handling sampled end to end: intake, verification, fulfilment, and whether responses landed inside the statutory window.
Transfers & assessments
Each cross-border flow checked for a valid pathway under the Transfer Regulations, with risk assessments where the rules require them.
Breach readiness
The 72-hour clock tested with a tabletop scenario: detection, severity assessment, SDAIA notification, and individual notification criteria.
Vendor & processor compliance
Data Processing Agreements sampled against the PDPL’s controller-processor requirements, and vendor monitoring checked for substance.
Security controls for personal data
Whether technical and organisational safeguards — access control, encryption, logging, disposal — match the sensitivity of what you hold.
Training & accountability
Whether staff who touch personal data know their obligations, and whether governance (DPO, ownership, escalation) operates beyond the org chart.
How It Runs
Audit method, start to close
The same evidence discipline our team applies on ISO 27001 and SOC 2 engagements, pointed at the PDPL.
01
Scope & audit plan
We agree the entities, systems, and period under review, and engage the owners — legal, IT, security, HR, marketing — so evidence requests land before fieldwork starts.
02
Evidence & interviews
Document review, system walkthroughs, and sampled records — DSRs, consents, DPAs, incident logs — tested against the PDPL, its Implementing Regulations, and the Transfer Regulations.
03
Findings, risk-ranked
Each finding states the provision concerned, the evidence observed, and the realistic exposure — regulatory, criminal (sensitive-data disclosure), and commercial.
04
Remediation plan & re-test
A sequenced corrective-action plan with owners and dates, a leadership debrief, and an optional follow-up review to verify the fixes actually closed the findings.
Timing
When an audit earns its fee
- An annual or semi-annual assurance cadence over an operating PDPL programme
- A Saudi enterprise customer or regulator has asked for evidence of compliance
- After a privacy incident or near-miss, to test whether the programme held
- Before registering on SDAIA’s National Data Governance Platform, to file with confidence
- After significant change — new products, markets, vendors, or an acquisition
- When the board wants independent assurance rather than self-attestation
Proof
In their words.
Quotes verbatim from G2. Company names added where the client confirmed them.
Instead of simply providing generic templates or checklists, their team took the time to understand our environment and requirements.
Anand .Market Risk Analyst · Mid-MarketCompliance readiness · September 2026
The team’s willingness to work with us and ease of communication.
sam v.CEO · Small-BusinessSOC 2 Type I + ISO 27001 · August 2026
They delivered the project with speed, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness.
Maneet P.Mid-MarketSOC 2 · August 2026
My only regret is that we didn’t engage them sooner in our compliance journey, which would have saved us even more time.
Mahesh Raju C. · XonarSmall-BusinessSOC 2 · GRC · August 2026
They were always responsive and willing to go the extra mile whenever we had questions or needed guidance.
Chandan J. · DsiderSmall-BusinessSOC 2 Type I · August 2026
Managing the auditor relationship on our behalf was especially valuable — it took a lot of pressure off our internal team.
Achyut B.Senior Software Engineer · Small-BusinessSOC 2 + ISO 27001 · September 2026
Their focus on ensuring that we were genuinely audit-ready rather than simply completing documentation.
Ravi V.Founder & CEO · Mid-MarketSOC 2 Type II · August 2026
The guidance was not generic or simply based on a standard checklist — they suggested practical approaches that made sense for our business.
Verified UserInternational Trade and Development · Small-BusinessSOC 2 + ISO 27001 · September 2026
What I like best is the hands-on support and clear guidance throughout the SOC 1 and SOC 2 process.
Sai Sudha S. · ExcersSmall-BusinessSOC 1 + SOC 2 · September 2026
PDPL Audit — FAQs
Audit vs assessment, cadence, certification, and what an SDAIA enquiry would test.
What is the difference between a PDPL audit and a gap assessment?
A gap assessment is diagnostic: it is run before or while you build the programme, and asks "what is missing?". An audit is assurance: it is run over a programme that already claims to comply, and asks "does it actually operate as documented?" — sampling real DSR responses, consent records, and incident logs as evidence. If you are starting out, begin with the gap assessment. If you have a programme, audit it.
Is there an official PDPL certification we can get?
The PDPL framework does not currently include a general compliance certification issued by SDAIA, so any "PDPL certified" badge should be read carefully. An independent audit gives you the substance — evidence-based assurance you can show customers and rely on internally. Pairing it with ISO 27701 certification adds an accredited, certifiable privacy management system on top.
How often should we audit our PDPL compliance?
Annually as a baseline, and after material change — a new product processing personal data, entry into a new market, a major vendor change, or an incident. Controllers carrying higher exposure (sensitive data, large-scale processing, heavy cross-border flows) often move to a semi-annual cycle.
Will the audit prepare us for an SDAIA enquiry?
That is one of its main jobs. The audit tests exactly what an enquiry would test: can you produce your RoPA, evidence a lawful basis per activity, show DSR responses inside the statutory window, and demonstrate the 72-hour breach process. The findings tell you where that story breaks down — before a regulator finds it for you.
Can the audit be done remotely?
Yes. Evidence review, interviews, and system walkthroughs run remotely with structured working sessions in English, and the approach is the same one our team uses across ISO 27001, SOC 2, and GDPR engagements. On-site fieldwork can be added where physical-records handling or data-centre walkthroughs are in scope.
Continue your PDPL research
- The PDPL hub — the Saudi and UAE laws, obligations, and penalties in one place.
- PDPL gap assessment — the diagnostic first step when no programme exists yet.
- DPO as a Service — operate the programme between audits.
- ISO 27701 (PIMS) — the certifiable backbone to pair with PDPL assurance.
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