Privacy & Data Protection Policy

Last Updated: August 2026

HANT International Consulting (“HANT”, “we”, “our”, or “us”) is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy and safeguarding the personal data entrusted to us.

Depending on the HANT entity involved, your location, and the nature of our relationship with you, we process personal data in accordance with applicable data protection and privacy legislation, including the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), applicable German data protection requirements, and applicable United Arab Emirates data protection requirements, including Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 concerning the Protection of Personal Data.

This Privacy & Data Protection Policy explains what personal data we may collect, why and how we process it, how we protect and share it, how long we retain it, and the rights available to you under applicable law.

1. Who We Are

HANT International Consulting is an international management consulting organization operating through relevant business entities, including operations in Germany and the United Arab Emirates.

The HANT entity responsible for your personal data will depend on the entity with which you interact, contract, submit an inquiry, or otherwise establish a business relationship.

For questions concerning privacy or the processing of your personal data, please contact:

Corporate Legal
HANT International Consulting
Email: corporate.legal@hantde.com

2. Personal Data We May Collect

The personal data we collect depends on how you interact with HANT and may include:

Contact Information
Your name, email address, telephone number, mailing address, company name, job title, and other contact information.

Business and Professional Information
Information about your organization, professional role, business requirements, qualifications, professional experience, project requirements, and information relevant to a consulting engagement.

Recruitment Information
CVs, employment history, education, qualifications, professional certifications, contact information, and other information submitted when applying for employment, consulting, or other professional opportunities with HANT.

Contractual and Transaction Information
Information relating to proposals, contracts, purchase orders, invoices, payments, suppliers, clients, and other commercial relationships.

Website and Technical Information
Depending on the technologies used by our website, we may collect information such as IP address, browser type, device information, operating system, time zone, referring website, pages visited, website interactions, and cookie-related information.

Communication Information
Information you provide when communicating with HANT through our website, contact forms, email, telephone, WhatsApp, meetings, surveys, events, or other communication channels.

We seek to collect only the personal data that is reasonably necessary and proportionate for the relevant purpose.

3. How We Use Your Personal Data

We may use personal data to:

• Respond to inquiries and requests.

• Provide consulting and professional services.

• Understand your organization's requirements and business challenges.

• Prepare proposals, quotations, and potential engagements.

• Establish and administer contracts.

• Manage client, supplier, partner, and stakeholder relationships.

• Process invoices, payments, and other financial transactions.

• Manage recruitment and professional applications.

• Communicate administrative, contractual, or service-related information.

• Improve our website, services, methodologies, and client experience.

• Maintain the security and integrity of our website and information systems.

• Detect, investigate, and prevent fraud, misuse, unauthorized access, or security incidents.

• Meet legal, regulatory, accounting, tax, audit, and compliance obligations.

• Establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

• Send marketing or business communications where permitted by applicable law.

We will not use personal data for purposes incompatible with the purposes for which it was collected unless such processing is permitted or required by applicable law.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

Where the GDPR applies, HANT processes personal data only where an appropriate legal basis exists.

Depending on the circumstances, the legal basis may include:

Consent
Where you have freely provided valid consent for a specific processing activity.

Contractual Necessity
Where processing is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you or to take requested steps before entering into a contract.

Legal Obligation
Where processing is necessary for HANT to comply with applicable legal or regulatory obligations.

Legitimate Interests
Where processing is necessary for HANT's legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your fundamental rights, interests, or freedoms.

Other lawful grounds may apply where permitted or required under applicable German, EU, UAE, or other relevant legislation.

Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw your consent at any time. Withdrawal will not affect the lawfulness of processing undertaken before consent was withdrawn.

5. Data Minimization and Purpose Limitation

HANT seeks to collect and process only personal data that is adequate, relevant, and reasonably necessary for the stated purpose.

We endeavor to ensure that personal data is not subsequently processed in a manner incompatible with the purpose for which it was originally collected, except where permitted by applicable law.

6. Sharing and Disclosure of Personal Data

HANT does not sell personal data.

Where necessary and permitted by law, we may share personal data with:

• Relevant HANT entities and authorized personnel.

• Professional advisers, auditors, accountants, legal advisers, and consultants.

• IT, cloud, website hosting, communication, CRM, cybersecurity, and technology providers.

• Financial institutions and payment service providers.

• Business partners, contractors, and subcontractors involved in delivering agreed services.

• Government, judicial, regulatory, tax, law enforcement, or other competent authorities where required or permitted by law.

Where required, third-party service providers processing personal data on our behalf are subject to appropriate contractual, confidentiality, security, and data protection requirements.

7. International Data Transfers

As HANT operates internationally and may use international technology and professional service providers, personal data may, where necessary, be processed or transferred outside the country in which it was originally collected.

This may include transfers between the UAE, Germany, the European Economic Area (EEA), and other jurisdictions in which approved HANT service providers operate.

Where applicable law restricts international transfers, HANT will use an appropriate lawful transfer mechanism or safeguard. Depending on the circumstances, this may include adequacy decisions, appropriate contractual safeguards, Standard Contractual Clauses, or other mechanisms permitted under applicable law.

8. Your Data Protection Rights

Depending on applicable law and the circumstances of the processing, you may have the right to:

• Be informed about how your personal data is processed.

• Request access to your personal data.

• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.

• Request deletion of your personal data where legally applicable.

• Request restriction of processing in certain circumstances.

• Object to certain processing activities.

• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

• Request data portability where applicable.

• Object to direct marketing.

• Exercise applicable rights concerning automated decision-making and profiling.

• Lodge a complaint with a competent data protection supervisory authority.

These rights may be subject to conditions, restrictions, or exemptions under applicable legislation.

To exercise your data protection rights, please contact:

corporate.legal@hantde.com

We may request appropriate information to verify your identity before responding to a request in order to protect personal data against unauthorized disclosure.

9. Data Security

HANT takes appropriate technical and organizational measures designed to protect personal data against unauthorized or unlawful access, processing, alteration, disclosure, misuse, accidental loss, destruction, or damage.

Depending on the nature and sensitivity of the information, these measures may include access controls, authentication, encryption, secure storage, backups, confidentiality requirements, system monitoring, employee awareness, and restricted access to personal data.

While we take reasonable measures to protect personal data, no electronic transmission, website, or information storage system can guarantee absolute security.

10. Data Retention

HANT retains personal data only for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected or to satisfy applicable contractual, legal, regulatory, accounting, tax, audit, compliance, or legitimate business requirements.

Retention periods may vary depending on the nature of the information, the purpose of processing, and applicable legal requirements.

When personal data is no longer required, it will be securely deleted, anonymized, or otherwise appropriately disposed of.

11. Personal Data Breaches

HANT maintains procedures for identifying, assessing, managing, and responding to personal data breaches.

Where a personal data breach triggers notification requirements under applicable legislation, HANT will notify the relevant supervisory or regulatory authority and, where legally required, affected individuals within the applicable statutory requirements.

12. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to support essential website functionality, maintain security, remember preferences, understand website usage, and improve the visitor experience.

Where applicable law requires consent for non-essential cookies or similar technologies, such technologies will be activated only after the appropriate consent has been obtained.

Visitors should be provided with appropriate cookie preference controls where required.

Additional information about the cookies and technologies used on the HANT website should be available through our Cookie Policy.

13. External Links

Our website may contain links to websites, applications, social media platforms, or services operated by independent third parties.

HANT does not control and is not responsible for the privacy or data protection practices of independent third parties. We encourage users to review the relevant privacy policies before submitting personal information to external websites or services.

14. Recruitment and Careers

Where you submit an application for employment, freelance work, consulting assignments, internships, or other professional opportunities, HANT may process the information you provide for recruitment, assessment, communication, selection, and related administrative purposes.

Recruitment information will be retained only for as long as reasonably necessary and in accordance with applicable legal requirements and HANT's legitimate recruitment needs.

15. Children's Privacy

HANT's website and professional consulting services are intended primarily for organizations, businesses, institutions, and professionals and are not directed toward children.

We do not intentionally seek to collect personal data from children through our general corporate website. Where we become aware of such collection in circumstances requiring additional authorization or protection, we will take appropriate action in accordance with applicable law.

16. Marketing Communications

Where permitted by applicable law, HANT may use business contact information to communicate relevant information about our services, insights, events, or professional activities.

Where consent is legally required, marketing communications will be sent only after obtaining the necessary consent.

You may opt out of applicable marketing communications at any time by following the unsubscribe mechanism provided or contacting us.

17. Changes to This Policy

HANT may update this Privacy & Data Protection Policy periodically to reflect changes in our operations, services, technologies, legal requirements, or data protection practices.

The date of the latest revision will be displayed at the top of this page. We encourage visitors to review this policy periodically.

18. Contact Us

For questions, concerns, complaints, or requests concerning this Privacy & Data Protection Policy or HANT's processing of personal data, please contact:

Corporate Legal
HANT International Consulting
Email: corporate.legal@hantde.com

Where applicable, you may also have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent data protection supervisory or regulatory authority.

Our Commitment

HANT International Consulting is committed to handling personal data lawfully, fairly, transparently, securely, and responsibly. Protecting privacy and confidentiality forms an integral part of our commitment to professional integrity, responsible governance, independent advisory, and maintaining the trust of our clients, employees, partners, and stakeholders.