Privacy Policy

This privacy policy describes how Dar Al Qalam Bookstore collects, uses, and protects the personal information you provide when you use our online platform and services. As a retail bookstore offering sales of books, stationery, school supplies, magazines, gift items, and related services including online book sales and book ordering, we are committed to protecting your privacy.

Who We Are

We are Dar Al Qalam Bookstore, located at Shop G12, Horizon Tower, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, Dubai, 50011, UAE. We are the controller responsible for your personal data processed in accordance with this policy.

Information We Collect

We collect various types of information in connection with the services we provide. This may include:

Personal Identifiers: Such as your name, delivery address, billing address.
Contact Information: Including email address and telephone number (though we will only provide our physical address for privacy inquiries).
Payment Information: Details necessary to process payments for orders, handled securely by third-party payment processors. We do not store full payment card details on our servers.
Order and Transaction Details: Information about your purchases, returns, and services you engage with, such as book ordering services or event registrations.
Account Information: If you create an account on our site, we collect your login credentials and profile information.
Communications: Records of your interactions with us, such as customer service inquiries.
Usage Data: Information about how you access and use our site, including browsing history, search queries, and pages viewed. This may be collected using cookies and similar technologies.
Marketing Preferences: Your preferences regarding receiving marketing communications.

How We Collect Information

We collect information when you:

Place an order on our site or through our services.
Create an account on our site.
Sign up for newsletters or marketing communications.
Contact us with inquiries or requests.
Participate in promotions, surveys, or events (such as reading events or book signings).
Browse and interact with our online platform.

How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes, based on specific legal grounds:

To fulfill your orders and provide services: This includes processing payments, arranging delivery of books, stationery, and other items, managing book ordering services, and providing customer support. This is necessary for the performance of a contract with you.
To manage your account: If you create an account, we use your information to maintain and manage your account. This is necessary for the performance of a contract with you.
To communicate with you: We may use your contact information to send you updates about your orders, respond to inquiries, and provide important information about our services. This is necessary for the performance of a contract or for our legitimate interests in managing our relationship with you.
To send marketing communications: With your consent, or where permitted by law based on our legitimate interests, we may send you information about new arrivals, special offers, upcoming events (like book signings), and other promotions related to our products and services (books, stationery, art supplies, etc.). You can opt out at any time.
To improve our site and services: We analyze usage data to understand how our platform is used, identify areas for improvement, and enhance the range of products and services we offer (fiction, non-fiction, educational materials, local author sections, etc.). This is based on our legitimate interests in developing and improving our business.
For security and fraud prevention: We use information to protect the security and integrity of our site and services and to prevent fraudulent transactions. This is based on our legitimate interests and compliance with legal obligations.
To comply with legal obligations: We may process your information when required by law, such as for tax or accounting purposes.

Sharing Your Information

We may share your personal information with selected third parties under specific circumstances:

Service Providers: We share information with trusted third-party service providers who perform functions on our behalf, such as payment processors, shipping companies (for delivery of your orders), IT service providers, and marketing service providers. These third parties are required to protect your information and use it only for the purposes for which it was provided.
Legal Compliance and Protection: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, court order, or other legal process, or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, property, or safety, or the rights, property, or safety of others.
Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your personal information may be transferred to the acquiring entity.

We do not sell or rent your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes.

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. To determine the appropriate retention period, we consider the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the personal data, the potential risk of harm from unauthorized use or disclosure of your personal data, the purposes for which we process your personal data and whether we can achieve those purposes through other means, and the applicable legal requirements.

Your Rights

Under applicable data protection laws, including GDPR, you have certain rights regarding your personal data. These rights may include:

The right to access: You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
The right to rectification: You have the right to request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal data we hold about you.
The right to erasure (the right to be forgotten): You have the right to request that we delete your personal data, under certain conditions.
The right to restrict processing: You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data, under certain conditions.
The right to object to processing: You have the right to object to our processing of your personal data, under certain conditions.
The right to data portability: You have the right to receive the personal data you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format and have the right to transmit that data to another controller, under certain conditions.
The right to withdraw consent: If we are relying on your consent to process your personal data, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the contact details provided in this policy.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our site uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to collect information about your browsing behavior. Cookies are small text files placed on your device that help us improve our site, analyze usage, and provide a more personalized experience. You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will post any changes on this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

Contact Information

If you have any questions or concerns about this privacy policy or our data practices, you can contact us by mail at:

Dar Al Qalam Bookstore
Shop G12
Horizon Tower
Sheikh Zayed Road
Dubai, Dubai, 50011
UAE