GulfBridge Privacy Policy

1) Who this policy is for

This policy covers:

• Candidates & job applicants (including prospective candidates).
• Employers/clients (including HR teams, hiring managers, and company representatives).
• Referees (people providing references).
• Website visitors and people who contact us for information or partnerships.

2) What information we collect

A) Candidate information

• Identity & contact details: name, phone number, email, nationality (where relevant), current location, LinkedIn profile.
• Professional information: CV/resume, employment history, education, certifications, skills, languages, salary expectations, notice period, role preferences.
• Recruitment process information: interview notes, screening outcomes, feedback, assessments, work samples/portfolio, communication history.
• Right-to-work and compliance details (where applicable and lawful): passport/ID details, visa status, work permit status, background checks, licensure (e.g., aviation/engineering), medical/fitness documents only when required by a role and permitted by law.
• Sensitive information (special categories): We avoid collecting sensitive data unless it is strictly necessary for recruitment, legal compliance, or requested/consented to by you.

B) Employer/client information

• Business contact details: name, title, company name, email, phone, location, LinkedIn profile.
• Hiring requirements: job descriptions, role criteria, salary ranges, start dates, headcount, interview process, internal notes needed to run recruitment.
• Commercial information: contracts, invoices, payment details (handled securely), service history, communications.

C) Website and communication data

• Device and usage data: IP address, browser type, pages visited, timestamps, referral sources.
• Cookies and similar technologies: to improve performance, analytics, and user experience (see Section 11).

3) How we collect information

• You submit a CV, fill a form, apply for a role, or contact us.
• You engage with our ads, social posts, messages, or emails.
• Employers share role requirements or communicate with us about hiring.
• Third parties provide information to us (e.g., references, background screening providers, public professional profiles such as LinkedIn, or your prior consented submissions).
• You browse our website (via cookies/analytics).

4) Why we use personal information

For candidates

• Create and manage your candidate profile.
• Match you to roles in the GCC/Middle East and present you to suitable employers.
• Arrange interviews, assessments, and communications.
• Verify credentials and conduct checks where lawful and necessary.
• Provide career-related updates, role alerts, and recruitment insights (you can opt out).
• Improve our recruitment processes and service quality.

For employers/clients

• Understand hiring needs and provide suitable candidate shortlists.
• Facilitate interviews, screening, and hiring decisions.
• Manage client accounts, contracts, and service delivery.
• Communicate about roles, candidates, market insights, and service updates.
• Maintain business records and comply with legal obligations.

For all users

• Maintain the security and performance of our systems and website.
• Prevent fraud, misuse, or unauthorized access.
• Comply with legal requirements and respond to lawful requests.

5) Legal basis for processing (where applicable)

Depending on your location and applicable law (including POPIA in South Africa and/or GDPR principles where relevant), we process personal information based on one or more of the following:

• Consent (e.g., you ask us to share your CV with employers; you subscribe to updates).
• Contractual necessity (e.g., delivering recruitment services to employers or supporting your application).
• Legitimate interests (e.g., running a recruitment business, improving services, maintaining security), balanced against your rights.
• Legal obligations (e.g., compliance, record-keeping, responding to lawful requests).

6) When we share information (and with whom)

A) Employers/clients

• We share candidate profiles and CVs only for relevant roles and typically after you’ve engaged with us for recruitment. Where appropriate, we may anonymize details until later stages.

B) Service providers (processors)

• Trusted vendors who help us operate (email/communication tools, ATS/CRM systems, cloud storage, analytics, scheduling tools).
• Background verification, reference checking, or assessment providers (only when lawful/required).
• These providers must protect your data and use it only for agreed purposes.

C) Legal and compliance

• Regulators, law enforcement, courts, or other authorities where required by law or to protect rights and safety.

D) Business changes

• If GulfBridge undergoes a merger, acquisition, or restructuring, information may be transferred as part of that transaction subject to confidentiality and lawful safeguards.

7) International and cross-border transfers

Because we recruit to the Middle East and may use global service providers, your information may be processed in countries outside your home country. Where required, we implement appropriate safeguards (e.g., contractual protections and security controls) to protect your information during transfer and processing.

8) Data retention

We keep personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy, including legal and business needs.

• Candidate profiles: retained to support future opportunities, unless you request deletion or we are required to delete it.
• Employer/client records: retained for contractual, operational, and legal record-keeping.
• We periodically review information and delete or anonymize it when no longer needed.

You can request deletion at any time (see Section 10), subject to lawful exceptions.

9) How we protect information

• Access controls and least-privilege permissions.
• Secure storage and encrypted connections where feasible.
• Vendor due diligence and contractual protections.
• Internal confidentiality practices and staff awareness.
• Monitoring and incident response procedures.

No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, but we work to protect information against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, or disclosure.

10) Your rights and choices

• Access the personal information we hold about you.
• Correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Delete your information (where applicable).
• Object to certain processing or request restriction.
• Withdraw consent (where processing is based on consent).
• Opt out of marketing messages and non-essential communications at any time.

To make a request, contact us using the details in Section 13. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling requests.

11) Cookies and analytics

• Keep our website functioning properly.
• Understand usage trends and improve performance.
• Measure marketing effectiveness.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling some cookies may affect site functionality.

12) Children’s privacy

GulfBridge services are intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided information to us, please contact us so we can take appropriate action.

13) Contact us

For privacy questions, access/correction/deletion requests, or complaints:

14) Updates to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements, or operational practices. We will post the latest version on our website and update the effective date at the top of this page.