What cookies we use, which require your consent, and how to manage them.
Last Updated: 1 March 2026 | Applies to: saudiexpatguide.com
Your consent matters. We use a cookie consent system on this website — non-essential cookies (analytics) are only set after you explicitly accept them via our cookie banner. You can withdraw or change your consent at any time using the Cookie Settings button on this page or in the footer of every page on this website. Strictly necessary cookies cannot be disabled as they are required for the site to function.
Cookies are small text files that a website places on your device (computer, tablet or smartphone) when you visit. They are widely used to make websites work correctly, remember your preferences, and provide information to website owners about how their site is used.
Cookies can be:
We use three categories of cookies. Here is a quick summary of each — detailed tables follow in the sections below:
These cookies are essential for this website to function correctly. They cannot be disabled through our cookie settings because the website would not work properly without them. They do not collect any information that could be used to identify you or track you across other websites.
| Cookie Name | Purpose | Type | Duration | Consent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| seg_cookie_consent | Stores your cookie consent decision (accepted / declined / pending) so we do not show the banner on every page visit | First-party | 180 days | Always On |
| seg_analytics | Records whether you have consented to analytics cookies specifically — used by our consent system to activate or block Google Analytics | First-party | 180 days | Always On |
| seg_marketing | Records whether you have consented to marketing cookies — currently inactive but stored as "declined" by default | First-party | 180 days | Always On |
| seg_preferences | Remembers functional display preferences you have set (e.g. calculator inputs within a session) | First-party | Session | Always On |
With your explicit consent, we use Google Analytics 4 to understand how visitors use our website — which pages are most useful, how long people spend reading guides, and where visitors come from. This helps us improve our content for the expat community.
These cookies are only set after you click Accept on our cookie banner. If you decline, or have not yet responded to the banner, no Google Analytics cookies are placed on your device. All data collected via these cookies is anonymised — your full IP address is never stored.
| Cookie Name | Purpose | Provider | Duration | Consent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| _ga | Registers a unique ID to distinguish users for Google Analytics traffic statistics. Anonymised — no personally identifiable information is stored. | Google LLC | 2 years | |
| _ga_* | Used by Google Analytics 4 to persist session state and track session-level data across pages within a single visit. | Google LLC | 2 years | |
| _gid | Registers a unique ID to generate statistical data on how visitors use the website. Expires at end of the following day. | Google LLC | 24 hours |
Google Analytics data is processed by Google LLC in the United States. This transfer is covered by appropriate safeguards (Standard Contractual Clauses). For full details, see Section 5 of our Privacy Policy.
ℹ️ Marketing cookies are not currently in use on this website. We do not run any advertising network, behavioural targeting system or social media pixel at this time. The cookies listed below are documented here for transparency and future reference only — they are not being set on your device.
If we introduce advertising (for example, Google AdSense) in the future, we will update this Cookie Policy before activating any such cookies, and we will request your fresh consent via the cookie banner at that time. You will not be opted in automatically.
| Cookie Name | Purpose (if activated) | Provider | Duration | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IDE | Used by Google DoubleClick to register and report user actions after viewing or clicking an advertisement — for ad conversion measurement | Google / DoubleClick | 1 year | Not Active |
| NID | Used by Google to customise ads in Google Search based on recent searches and interactions | Google LLC | 6 months | Not Active |
| test_cookie | Used by Google DoubleClick to check whether the user's browser supports cookies | Google / DoubleClick | Session | Not Active |
When you first visit saudiexpatguide.com, a cookie consent banner is displayed at the bottom of the screen. This banner:
seg_cookie_consent cookie for 180 daysYour consent is specific, informed, freely given and unambiguous — in line with the requirements of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and equivalent applicable data protection laws.
Non-essential cookies are not set unless and until you click Accept. If you navigate away from the banner without making a choice, no non-essential cookies are placed.
You can change or withdraw your cookie consent at any time — simply use the button below to open your Cookie Settings:
What happens when you withdraw consent: If you withdraw consent for analytics cookies, Google Analytics cookies already set on your device will be deleted on your next page load and no new analytics data will be collected. Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of any data processing that occurred before you withdrew consent.
You can also control and delete cookies directly through your browser settings. Note that disabling all cookies may affect the functionality of some features on our website. Instructions for the major browsers:
For more detailed guidance on managing cookies across all browsers, visit allaboutcookies.org.
Some cookies on this website are set by third-party services that we use to analyse our traffic. These third parties have their own privacy policies, which govern how they use the data collected via their cookies. We have no control over third-party cookies once set.
You can also opt out of interest-based advertising from participating companies via the Your Online Choices platform (EU) or the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out tool.
Some browsers include a "Do Not Track" (DNT) setting that sends a signal to websites requesting that your browsing activity not be tracked.
At this time, saudiexpatguide.com does not technically respond to browser-level DNT signals. However, our cookie consent system achieves the same goal through a more transparent mechanism — you can decline all non-essential cookies via our cookie banner or Cookie Settings at any time, with the same effect as a DNT signal.
We will review our position on DNT signal support as industry standards in this area continue to develop.
Data collected through cookies on this website is handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy, which covers your full rights over personal data including the right to access, correct, delete and object to processing.
Cookie-based analytics data is anonymised before storage and cannot be used to identify you as an individual. We retain Google Analytics data for 14 months (Google's default retention setting, which we have not extended).
If you are based in the European Union, your rights under the GDPR apply to all personal data processed via cookies — including the right to withdraw consent at any time without detriment.
If you are based in Saudi Arabia, your rights under the Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) 2024 apply. See Section 14 of our Privacy Policy for details.
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time — for example, if we introduce new cookies, change our analytics provider or activate advertising features. When changes are made:
We encourage you to review this page periodically to stay informed about how we use cookies.
If you have any questions about our use of cookies or wish to raise a concern about how your cookie data is handled, please contact us via:
Contact Page — saudiexpatguide.com/contact.html
We aim to respond to all genuine cookie-related enquiries within 5 working days.