Privacy Notice

Revised on : Oct 2025

1. OVERVIEW

Qatar Distribution Company is committed to protecting your personal data and your right to privacy.

This Privacy Notice (together with our Terms and Conditions for sale and Cookie Policy) sets out the basis on which we process Personal Data (“Privacy Notice”). By “Personal Data” we mean any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person.

The latest version of our Privacy Notice can be found on our website www.qdc.com.qa (“Website”). If we change this Privacy Notice, we will inform you about the changes by publishing the updated version on our Website. Subject to applicable laws, the English version of this Privacy Notice will prevail over any version of this Privacy Notice translated in another language.

The data controller is Qatar Distribution Company W.L.L (“QDC”, “We”, or “us”) with its registered office at Qatar Airways Tower 1, Airport Road, P.O. Box 22550, Doha, State of Qatar.

2. WHEN DOES THIS PRIVACY NOTICE APPLY?

This Privacy Notice applies to the processing by QDC of all Personal Data we gather or use in connection with your relationship with us as a customer or potential customer of our business, when you use our mobile responsive Website and services provided by us or others acting on our behalf and when you interact with us. We will only use your Personal Data in accordance with this Privacy Notice.

3. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR PERSONAL DATA?

QDC is responsible for the collection and use of all Personal Data described in this Privacy Notice. In this Privacy Notice, we explain which Personal Data we process and for what purposes, and to which persons or entities the Personal Data will be provided.

4. HOW WE COLLECT AND RECEIVE PERSONAL DATA

4.1 We may collect and receive Personal Data directly from you or a joint applicant. If you are a hotel, data may be processed from your authorised representative when you:

apply for an individual or joint liquor permit to purchase alcoholic beverages, a renewal or revocation of your liquor permit; or
apply for a hotel license to sell alcoholic beverages; or
use our store and purchase alcoholic beverages; or
use or access our Website, particularly when making an online appointment or online purchase; or
communicate with us via social media, email, telephone, in writing, in person or through our customer services locations or pages.

4.2 We may also collect your Personal Data through our Website and other channels in each case where you have provided your Personal Data directly to them or where we subcontract them to assist us in providing services to you.

4.3 Where you disclose Personal Data on behalf of another person, you undertake and will ensure that the individual whose Personal Data is supplied to QDC has authorized the disclosure, is informed of the terms and conditions of this Privacy Notice.

5. WHY DO WE USE YOUR PERSONAL DATA?

5.1 When you interact with QDC (online or offline)

(1) For answering your questions or responding to your complaints or requests

What does this mean?
If you get in touch with us in person or by your authorized representative, through our offices, by email, by telephone, in writing or through our customer care contact points or service page on our Website, your Personal Data is collected only to the extent necessary to reply to and answer your question or to respond to your complaints or requests (e.g., to assist you in processing a transaction or to provide technical assistance). If you visit one of our stores, you will be monitored by closed circuit television (CCTV) inside and outside the premises for security purposes. In each case, we do so in compliance with applicable laws.
Your access and use of any social media platforms are governed by their own terms of use and privacy and cookie policies.
What are our legal grounds for doing this?
We will process your Personal Data based on the performance of your order confirmation including all actions necessary to complete the transaction (such as reviewing your request, processing it, delivering the service, etc.) or in our legitimate business interests in providing customer care to you based on your request.
Which Personal Data do we use for this purpose?
Depending on the communication channel you have chosen to connect with us, we will use Personal Data you supply which may include your name, contact details, email address, booking reference number, appointment reference number, your correspondence with QDC about your questions and all other Personal Data necessary to answer your question. We may monitor or record your phone conversations for training and customer service purposes.

5.2 For assessment of your permit application

What does this mean?
In order for QDC to assess your application for an individual liquor permit or hotel liquor permit, we will process your Personal Data to verify your identity and assess whether you meet the applicable requirements for grant of the liquor permit. We will process your Personal Data to advise you of the outcome and if successful to issue the liquor permit to you or your authorised representative.
What are our legal grounds for doing this?
We will process your Personal Data based on the performance of our contract with you.
Which Personal Data do we use for this purpose?
If you are a customer, we process your name, gender, title, nationality, religion, employment details, contact details such as your postal address and email address, passport number and QID number and details of your correspondence with us. We will also process the Personal Data of any joint applicant applying together with you.

5.3 For the performance of our contract with you

What does this mean?
When you make a purchase from QDC online or in-store, we process your Personal Data to facilitate your purchase, handling orders placed and deliveries of products and services, collect payment from you, communication with you about orders and to maintain your liquor permit or providing you with a refund.
We also use your Personal Data in order to deliver or receive and manage our services that we have agreed to provide to you. As part of our service to you, we provide you with confirmation notifications via phone call or email.
What are our legal grounds for doing this?
We will process your Personal Data based on the performance of your order confirmation.
Which Personal Data do we use for this purpose?
When purchasing our products, we process the customer’s name, title, date of birth, home address, email address, telephone number, payment and credit information, and other data stored in our customer and supplier databases.

5.4 For the development and improvement of our services

What does this mean?
It is important for us to continue to uphold the QDC brand. In order to achieve this, we use your Personal Data so that we can assess, analyse and improve our services to you.
What are our legal grounds for doing this?
We will process your Personal Data based on our legitimate business interests in assessing the quality of and improving our services to you.
Which Personal Data do we use for this purpose?
We use your Personal Data such as your gender, age and nationality. In addition, we use the Personal Data you entered into the Website and the technical data from your device such as its IP-address, the pages you visited on our Website, your click-through and surf behaviour and the length of your session.

5.5 For compliance with legal or regulatory requirements

What does this mean?
In order to comply with legal or regulatory obligations, including providing specific information to law enforcement or similar bodies upon request, QDC may be required to share your Personal Data with law enforcement officials, courts and government and regulatory authorities.
What are our legal grounds for doing this?
We will process your Personal Data based on either:
1. our legitimate business interests to be able to share information with law enforcement or similar bodies from time to time, subject to their legitimate requests in maintaining adherence to our company policies and the standards which we uphold for our employees, suppliers and partners. We will need to be able to process this information in order for us to comply with legitimate requests, including cases where we determine that we are not compelled to by applicable laws. Prior to sharing this information, we will ensure the that by properly exercising our right to act in our legitimate interest to share the requested data we will not be overriding your interests or fundamental rights and freedoms which require protection of your personal data; or
2. compliance with a legal or regulatory obligation.
Which Personal Data do we use for this purpose?
For this purpose, the Personal Data that we may be compelled to share will vary on a case-to-case basis.

5.6 If you participate in events, prize draws or competitions

What does this mean?
If you give us your consent to do so, we may invite you to participate in promotions, prize contests, events, competitions and/or games of chance (collectively “Contests”). If you choose to participate in any Contest, we need your Personal Data to allow you to participate, administer the Contest, announce the winner, process the delivery of and distribution of the prizes, and to measure the response to Contests.
What are our legal grounds for doing this?
We will process your Personal Data based on the terms and conditions of the relevant Contest. If you decline to provide this information, we will not be able to register or enter you into the relevant Contest or award you a prize if you have been successful. Where a Contest involves Personal Data of a child, we require the parent or legal guardian to provide consent.
Which Personal Data do we use for this purpose?
Where we are the organiser or sponsor of the Contest, we may process your name, address, email address, passport copy, country of residence, proof of residence or age verification documentation, personal identification documentation, signature, photo and your entries in the Contest. Please refer to the terms and conditions of the relevant Contest for relevant details of Personal Data processed. We may also share your Personal Data on social media, with third party sponsors of prizes in order to administer the prizes to you.

5.7 Our Legitimate Interests

Where we rely on legitimate interests as a basis for processing your Personal Data, we have considered your interests, rights and freedoms and carry out a ‘balancing test’ to ensure that our processing is necessary and that your fundamental rights of privacy are not outweighed by our legitimate interests. You have the right to object to our processing of your Personal Data and can find out more information about our legitimate interests by contacting us using the details below.

6. COOKIES

Cookies are small files of information which save and retrieve information about your visit to our Website. For example, how you entered our site, how you navigated through the site, and what information was of interest to you. Read more about how we use cookies in our Cookie Policy. At this time, we do not respond to browser ‘do-not-track’ signals, as we await for a uniform standard put forth by regulators or the privacy industry. Do-Not-Track is a preference you can set in your web browser to inform websites that you do not want to be tracked. You can enable or disable Do- Not-Track by visiting the preferences or settings page of your web browser.

7. WHO HAS ACCESS TO YOUR PERSONAL DATA?

7.1 Access to your Personal Data within Qatar Airways Group and data transfers

As a global organisation headquartered in the State of Qatar, Personal Data may be transferred internationally throughout Qatar Airways’ Group to offer you a complete package of services and ancillary or complementary products which you have requested and for business or administrative purposes.

We may send the Personal Data to Qatar Airways Group entities located in countries whose data protection laws may not be as extensive as those in the European Economic Area (“EEA”). If necessary, QDC will ensure that adequate safeguards are in place to comply with the requirements for the international transfer of personal data under applicable data protection and privacy laws. QDC employees are authorised to access Personal Data only if needed to serve the applicable purpose and to perform their jobs.

7.2 Access to your Personal Data by third parties

When you make a purchase via our Website or in-store, we use support and other functions which may require the transfer of your Personal Data within and outside the State of Qatar that may be processed and stored by relevant third parties to provide you with the arrangements you require.

To provide you with our services, we may be required to disclose certain of your Personal Data in the following cases:

to you or those acting on your behalf such as your representatives;
to third parties including service providers to provide a service to, or perform a function for, us or who are otherwise appointed by us in connection with the services we offer you e.g., payment service providers; and
to third parties, including law enforcement officials, courts and government and regulatory authorities: (a) if we believe disclosure is required by any applicable law, regulation or legal process (such as to respond to subpoenas or judicial orders); or (b) to protect and defend our rights, or the rights or safety of third parties, including to defend against legal claims.

8. HOW DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA SAFE?

(1) Safeguards

QDC has taken adequate safeguards to ensure the confidentiality and security of your Personal Data. We are committed to ensuring that your Personal Data is secure. In an effort to prevent unauthorised access to, or disclosure of, your Personal Data, we have put in place physical, technical, and administrative safeguards to protect your Personal Data against accidental or unlawful destruction or accidental loss, damage, alteration, unauthorised disclosure or access, as well as all other forms of unlawful processing (including, but not limited to, unnecessary collection) or further processing. In order to protect the security of your information, where necessary, we use encryption technology when collecting or transferring Personal Data. Although we use reasonable and appropriate efforts to protect your Personal Data, we cannot guarantee the security of your Personal Data transmitted to our Website via internet or similar connection.

(2) Retention

We will retain Personal Data for as long as required by relevant laws or as necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected and the business requirements of QDC as described in this Privacy Notice and in line with our Data Retention Policy. When erasing Personal Data, we will take commercially reasonable and technically possible measures to make the Personal Data irrecoverable or irreproducible in accordance with the applicable laws.

9. YOUR RIGHTS

You can exercise your rights to access, rectification, erasure, restricted processing, data portability, objection or rights in relation to automated individual decision-making (including profiling), in relation to the Personal Data that QDC processes at any time by sending a request via a dedicated ‘Subject Access Request’ portal on Qatar Airways Group’s website. You may have other privacy rights depending upon your country of residence.

We will not charge a fee to respond to your request unless the request may be deemed as manifestly unfounded or excessive. Please indicate that your request relates to QDC. Where your request relates to a purchase, please provide your confirmation reference number, the date of your purchase and any other relevant information that will assist us to identify your purchase.

10. HOW TO CONTACT US OR LODGE A COMPLAINT

Should you have any questions about the processing of your Personal Data or this Privacy Notice, please contact:

Qatar Airways Group

Qatar Airways Tower 1

PO Box 22550

Doha, State of Qatar

Attention: Data Protection Officer

To send an email to our Data Protection Officer regarding the processing of your Personal Data click here. You can also complain to the competent supervisory authority if you are unhappy with how we have used your Personal Data