Privacy Policy

Introduction

NGS Architects respects your privacy and is committed to handling your personal information responsibly.

This Privacy Policy explains how NGS Architects collects, uses, stores and shares personal information when you visit our website, contact our team, enquire about our services or engage with us professionally.

It also explains how we handle personal information in connection with our architectural, interior design, landscape design and related consultancy services.

This Policy is issued by NGS Architects, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. NGS Architects is responsible for determining how and why your personal information is processed, unless we notify you otherwise in a separate privacy notice.

Information We Collect

The information we collect depends on how you interact with us and the services you request.

Contact and identification information: Your name, email address, telephone number, correspondence address, company name, job title and other details you provide when contacting us.

Project and property information: Project addresses, design briefs, budgets, preferences, drawings, plans, photographs, site information and correspondence. These materials may contain personal information about you, property owners, occupants or other individuals involved in a project.

Business and contractual information: Details required to prepare proposals, establish appointments, administer contracts, issue invoices, record payments and manage our professional relationship with you.

Website and technical information: Depending on the technologies used on our website, this may include your IP address, browser and device information, pages visited, referral source and information collected through cookies or similar technologies.

Recruitment information: Where you apply for a position with us, we may collect your CV, portfolio, employment history, qualifications and other information relevant to your application.

We collect information directly from you and, where appropriate and lawful, from your authorised representatives, project consultants, contractors, recruitment agencies or publicly available professional sources.

Please avoid submitting unnecessary sensitive information, identity documents or confidential third-party information through general website enquiry forms. Where additional information is required, we will explain its purpose and the appropriate method for providing it.

How We Use Your Information

We use personal information to respond to enquiries, discuss project requirements, prepare proposals and provide the services you request.

During an appointment, we may use relevant information to develop designs, coordinate project teams, communicate with clients and their representatives, support approval applications, administer contracts and maintain project records.

We may also use information to manage recruitment, maintain our website, investigate technical or security issues, comply with applicable legal and professional obligations, and establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

Where permitted by law and subject to any required consent, we may use your contact details to send practice news, project updates, invitations or information about our services.

Where information is necessary to respond to your request, perform our appointment or comply with a legal obligation, we will explain this when collecting it. Without that information, we may be unable to proceed with the relevant enquiry or service.

Our Basis for Processing Personal Information

We process personal information on a basis permitted by applicable law. Depending on the circumstances, this may include your consent, processing necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, compliance with legal obligations, or establishing, exercising or defending legal claims.

Where processing relies on your consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal does not affect processing lawfully carried out before you withdrew it. Simply visiting our website does not constitute consent to every use described in this Policy.

How We Share Information

We share personal information only where necessary for an identified purpose and where legally permitted.

Recipients may include members of our project team; appointed engineers, specialist consultants, contractors and suppliers; relevant authorities, developers and community management organisations; and professional advisers such as accountants, insurers and legal advisers.

We may also share information with service providers that support our operations, including website hosting, business email, document storage, project management and other information technology services.

Where another NGS business is involved in delivering services you have requested, we may share the information necessary for that involvement. Membership of the same group does not, by itself, authorise unrestricted sharing or marketing use.

We limit disclosures to the information reasonably required. Where a provider processes personal information on our behalf, we require appropriate confidentiality, security and data-handling obligations.

We may disclose information where required by law or a lawful request from a competent authority.

We do not sell or rent your personal information.

Project Confidentiality, Photography and Portfolio Use

We recognise that architectural projects may involve private residences, personal preferences, confidential drawings and information about how clients live or work.

We handle personal information within project materials with appropriate care and in accordance with our professional appointment, confidentiality commitments and applicable law.

We may seek to feature project drawings, visualisations, photographs or completed works in our portfolio, website, social media, publications or award submissions. Any publication will be subject to the relevant project agreement and any additional permissions required.

We will obtain appropriate documented permission before publishing identifiable client testimonials, personal details or photographs identifying individuals. For private residences, we will agree the permitted level of project identification and avoid disclosing security-sensitive information.

Submitting an enquiry or providing project information does not, by itself, authorise us to publish your name, home address, photographs or confidential project details.

Where publication relies on your consent, you may contact us to withdraw that consent for future use. We will explain any practical limitations concerning materials already printed or distributed.

Cookies and Similar Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to support its operation, remember preferences and understand how visitors use the website.

Essential technologies support functions such as website security and the storage of your preferences, including your chosen display theme.

We use Google Analytics to collect aggregated information about how visitors use the website, such as pages visited, approximate location, device and browser type, and referral source. Google may process this information on servers outside the UAE in accordance with its own privacy policy.

You can manage or block cookies through your browser settings, although blocking essential cookies may affect website functionality. You can also opt out of Google Analytics measurement using the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.

Marketing Communications

We send promotional communications only where permitted by applicable law and with any consent that is required.

You can unsubscribe using the instructions included in a communication or by contacting us. Choosing not to receive marketing will not prevent you from making an enquiry or receiving our services.

We may continue to send non-promotional communications necessary for an active enquiry, appointment, invoice or ongoing project. We may retain a limited record of your marketing preferences to ensure that we respect your choice.

International Data Transfers

Personal information may be accessed, stored or processed outside the UAE where this is necessary for our service providers or the delivery of an international project.

Where this occurs, we will use a transfer mechanism permitted by applicable law and implement any required safeguards. Depending on the circumstances, these may include legally recognised protections in the destination country, appropriate contractual safeguards or another lawful transfer arrangement. UAE law regulates the cross-border transfer and sharing of personal data.

You may contact us for further information about transfers involving your personal information and the safeguards that apply.

How Long We Keep Information

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including any applicable legal, regulatory, accounting, insurance or professional record-keeping requirements.

When determining retention periods, we consider the nature of the information, the duration of our relationship, project completion and aftercare requirements, and any relevant period for bringing or defending legal claims.

Enquiry and recruitment information will be reviewed and removed when it is no longer required, unless a further lawful purpose justifies retaining it.

When personal information is no longer needed, we will securely delete it or anonymise it so that individuals can no longer be identified.

You may contact us for information about the retention period applicable to a particular category of your information.

How We Protect Information

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, alteration, disclosure or destruction. Access is limited to people who need the information for an authorised purpose.

No website, communication system or storage method can be guaranteed completely secure. Where a personal-data breach occurs, we will assess it, take appropriate action and notify affected individuals and the relevant authority where required by applicable law.

Your Privacy Rights

Subject to applicable law and any relevant exceptions, you may request information about how your personal information is processed, correction of inaccurate information, deletion of information, restriction of processing or a portable copy of eligible information.

You may also withdraw consent, object to direct marketing and, where applicable, request human review of significant automated decisions. These rights are not absolute; for example, some information may need to be retained to meet legal obligations or defend legal claims.

To exercise your rights, contact us using the details below. We may request information reasonably necessary to verify your identity before responding. We will handle requests within the period required by applicable law and explain any lawful reason that prevents us from fulfilling a request.

You may also raise a complaint with the competent data-protection authority. Under the UAE federal framework, the UAE Data Office has responsibilities relating to data-protection complaints and grievances.

External Websites and Communication Platforms

Our website may contain links to external websites, social media pages or third-party communication services.

Those organisations are responsible for their own processing of personal information. Please review their privacy notices before providing information or using their services.

Where you choose to contact us through a third-party messaging or social media platform, the platform’s privacy terms apply to its handling of your information, while this Policy applies to our handling of the information we receive.

Children’s Privacy

Our website and enquiry services are intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children through our website.

Where information about children is necessary for a residential design brief, it should be provided through a parent or authorised guardian and limited to what is relevant to the project.

Please contact us if you believe a child has submitted personal information through our website without appropriate authorisation.

Changes to this Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our services, systems or legal obligations. The latest version will be published on this page with an updated date.

Where a change requires additional notice or renewed consent, we will provide that notice or request consent as appropriate.

Contact Us

For questions about this Privacy Policy or to exercise your privacy rights, please contact NGS Architects at info@ngsarchitects.com or by telephone on +971 4 579 6263.