Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

This Privacy Policy applies to GGD Academy, operated by Green Grid Designs Advisory FZ-LLC, a sustainability consultancy and training provider based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Website: academy.greengriddesigns.com
Email: academy@greengriddesigns.com
Phone / WhatsApp: +971 56 284 1062
Registered Address: FDBC0652, Compass Building, Al Shohada Road, AL Hamra Industrial Zone-FZ, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE.

For the purposes of applicable data protection law, Green Grid Designs Advisory FZ-LLC is the data controller responsible for personal data collected through this website and through the provision of training services.

2. What Personal Data We Collect

We collect personal data only when you actively provide it to us, or when it is generated through your use of this website. The categories of data we may collect include:

a) Data you provide directly

• Contact and enquiry data: your name, email address, phone number, country or city of residence, professional background and any message content submitted via our enquiry form.
• Enrolment data: your name, email address, job title, organisation, and course selection when you register for a course.
• Payment data: where payment is required, we collect billing details. Payment card data is processed by our payment provider and is not stored by us.
• Communications data: the content of emails, WhatsApp messages or other direct correspondence you send to us.
• Course participation data: attendance records, session recordings (where applicable), and course completion status used to issue certification.

b) Data collected automatically

• Usage data: pages visited, time spent on pages, browser type, device type and operating system, referring URL, and approximate geographic location derived from IP address.
• Cookie data: information stored by cookies placed on your device. See Section 7 (Cookies) for full details.

3. How We Use Your Personal Data

We use your personal data for the following purposes and on the following legal bases:

4. Who We Share Your Data With

We do not sell, rent or trade your personal data. We share data only where necessary, with the following categories of recipient:

• IES (Integrated Environmental Solutions): where your course entitles you to an official IES VE certificate, your name and email are shared with IES solely for the purpose of issuing that certification.
• IFS Academy (India cohorts only): where your enrolment is processed through IFS Academy for India-market delivery, your enrolment data is shared with IFS Academy for administrative purposes.
• Technology service providers: our website is hosted on WordPress infrastructure. We use contact form software (Contact Form 7 / WPForms) and may use video conferencing tools (Zoom or Microsoft Teams) for course delivery. These providers process data only on our behalf and under contractual data processing terms.
• Payment processors: where payment is taken online, your billing details are processed by our payment provider. We do not receive or store full card details.
• Legal and regulatory authorities: where required by law or to protect our legal rights.

5. International Data Transfers

GGD Academy operates from the UAE and serves participants globally, including within the European Union, GCC countries and India. Your personal data may therefore be processed in countries outside your country of residence.

Where we transfer data internationally we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with the UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 on Personal Data Protection and, where applicable, the GDPR. If you have questions about the safeguards applicable to your data, please contact us at academy@greengriddesigns.com.

6. How Long We Keep Your Data

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, or as required by law. Our standard retention periods are:

• Enquiry data (no enrolment): 12 months from the date of your last contact with us, after which it is securely deleted.
• Enrolment and course participation data: 5 years from course completion, to support certification verification and to comply with accounting obligations under UAE law.
• Session recordings: shared with enrolled participants for 6 months after the final session, then deleted from our systems.
• Financial records: 7 years in accordance with UAE Federal Law No. 2 of 2015 on Commercial Companies and applicable accounting regulations.
• Website usage / cookie data: as set by each cookie category — see Section 7 below.

7. Cookies

Our website uses cookies — small text files placed on your device — to ensure the site functions correctly and to help us understand how it is used. We use the following categories of cookies:

Strictly necessary cookies

Required for the website to function. These include WordPress session cookies and security tokens. They cannot be disabled. No consent is required for these cookies.

Analytics cookies (optional)

Where we use a web analytics tool (such as Google Analytics), it places cookies to collect anonymised usage data including pages visited, time on site and browser type. This data is used in aggregate to improve the website. These cookies are only placed with your consent, via our cookie consent banner. You may withdraw consent at any time by clearing your browser cookies or adjusting your consent preferences.

Managing cookies

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Please note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of some parts of this website. Most browsers allow you to view, delete and block cookies — refer to your browser’s help documentation for instructions.

8. Your Rights

Depending on your country of residence and the applicable law, you may have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

• Right of access: to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification: to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to erasure: to request deletion of your data where there is no longer a lawful basis for us to retain it.
• Right to restrict processing: to request that we limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
• Right to data portability: to receive your data in a structured, commonly used format (where applicable).
• Right to object: to object to processing based on legitimate interests, including for direct marketing purposes.
• Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, to withdraw that consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at academy@greengriddesigns.com. We will respond within 30 days. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

If you are an EU resident and believe we have not addressed your complaint satisfactorily, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your national data protection supervisory authority. If you are a UAE resident, you may contact the UAE Data Office (dataoffice.ae).

9. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss, destruction or alteration. Our website is served over HTTPS. Access to personal data is restricted to those who need it to carry out their responsibilities. No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. In the event of a personal data breach that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify you and any applicable supervisory authority as required by law.

10. Third-Party Links

This website may contain links to external websites, including LinkedIn, IES, and IFS Academy. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of any third-party site you visit.

11. Children’s Privacy

GGD Academy courses are intended for adult professionals and students aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal data from individuals under 18. If you believe we have inadvertently collected data from a minor, please contact us immediately at academy@greengriddesigns.com and we will delete it without delay.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements or services. The updated version will be published on this page with a revised “Last updated” date. We encourage you to review this page periodically. Continued use of the website or our services after any changes constitutes your acknowledgement of the updated policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your rights, or have a concern about how we handle your data, please contact us: