Privacy Policy

Last updated: 17 July 2026

First Stage Advisors - FZCO ("First Stage Advisors", "we", "us", or "our"), a company licensed by the Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ) and registered with IFZA in Dubai Silicon Oasis, United Arab Emirates, is committed to protecting the privacy of everyone whose personal data we handle. This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the rights available to you.

1. Who this policy applies to

This policy applies to prospective and current clients, candidates and individuals we assess or place on behalf of clients, website visitors, and anyone who contacts us. Because our work involves handling personal information about senior professionals, we treat data protection as central to how we operate.

2. Information we collect

3. How we use your information

We use personal data to respond to enquiries, to provide and improve our advisory services, to conduct searches and assessments on behalf of clients, to meet our legal and regulatory obligations in the UAE, and to communicate with you about engagements you are involved in. We do not sell personal data.

4. Legal basis and consent

We process personal data where we have a legitimate business interest in doing so, where it is necessary to perform an engagement, where we are required to by law, or where you have given consent. Where our work involves individuals located in jurisdictions with data-protection regimes such as the EU/UK GDPR, we apply equivalent standards of care and lawful basis to that processing.

5. Sharing your information

We share personal data only where necessary: with the client on whose behalf an engagement is conducted, with trusted service providers (such as assessment platforms and IT providers) under appropriate confidentiality obligations, and with authorities where required by law. We require all third parties to respect the security of your data and to process it in accordance with the law.

6. International transfers

Our work is international, and personal data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside the UAE. Where we do so, we take steps to ensure an appropriate level of protection through contractual and organisational safeguards.

7. Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy, to meet legal and regulatory requirements, and to maintain appropriate business records. When data is no longer required, we securely delete or anonymize it.

8. Security

We maintain appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, and unauthorised access. Access to candidate and client information is restricted to those who need it to carry out their work.

9. Your rights

Subject to applicable law, you may request access to the personal data we hold about you, ask us to correct or delete it, object to or restrict certain processing, and withdraw consent where processing is based on consent. To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details below.

10. Contact us

For any questions about this policy or how we handle your data, please contact us at hello@firststageadvisors.co.