BuildConnect is an online directory of UAE construction companies. This policy explains what information we collect, why, who processes it for us, and how to have it corrected or removed. It is written to describe what the platform actually does.
What we collect
If you visit the site— when you send us a message through the Contact page we receive your first and last name, email address, phone number (optional), the topic you chose and your message. That message is delivered to our inbox by email; it is not stored in the BuildConnect database. When you open a company profile we record a page view for that company containing the page visited, the traffic source (for example a search engine or a direct visit), your browser's user-agent string and the time. We do not store your IP address with a page view.
If you send an enquiry to a company— the “Request a quote” form on a company profile collects your name, email, phone (optional), the service and budget you indicate and your message. The enquiry is stored in BuildConnect so the company can read and reply to it from its dashboard, and a copy is emailed to the company. Job applications submitted on a company's own website work the same way, including the CV you attach.
If you register a company— we store the account and profile information you give us: your name, email and a hashed password, your company's details (name, description, services, emirates served, contact details, trade licence number as you supply it), the images and documents you upload, team members, projects, certifications, offices, job posts, and the enquiries and applications you receive. If you subscribe to a paid plan we store your Stripe customer and subscription identifiers and your plan status. Card details go to Stripe and never touch BuildConnect's servers.
Why we use it
- To operate the directory and show company profiles to visitors.
- To answer messages you send us.
- To deliver enquiries and job applications to the company you chose.
- To run company accounts, dashboards and the company's BuildConnect-hosted website.
- To bill paid plans and manage subscriptions.
- To show companies simple statistics about how their profile is found.
We do not sell personal data and we do not share it with advertisers.
Who processes data on our behalf
BuildConnect runs on the following services, each of which processes data only to provide its function to us:
- Neon — hosts the BuildConnect database.
- Vercel — hosts the application and serves the website.
- Cloudinary — stores uploaded images and documents (logos, project photos, CVs).
- Resend — delivers the emails the platform sends (contact messages, enquiry notifications, account emails).
- Stripe — processes subscription payments. Card details are entered on Stripe's pages and are never stored by BuildConnect.
Cookies
BuildConnect sets a session cookie when a company user signs in to the dashboard; it keeps you signed in and is removed when you sign out or it expires. The dashboard also remembers whether its sidebar is open in a small preference cookie. We do not set advertising or tracking cookies, and we do not use third-party analytics scripts on the public site.
Unclaimed listings
Some listings in the directory are created by BuildConnect from information the company has already made public — its own website or its public business listing. These listings are clearly labelled “Unclaimed” until the company takes them over. They contain business information only: the company name, what it does, the emirates it serves, its public switchboard number, public email and website. They never include personal data beyond a business role, and no enquiry form is shown on an unclaimed listing, so nobody can message the company through us before it has chosen to be here.
Any company can have its listing corrected, claimed, or removed on request, at no cost, by emailing info@buildconnect.ae. We action removal requests promptly.
How long we keep it
Company account and profile data is kept for as long as the account exists; when an account is deleted, its profile, uploads, enquiries and applications are deleted with it. Enquiries and job applications belong to the company they were sent to and are kept with that company's account. Messages sent through the Contact page are kept in our email inbox. Page-view records are kept to produce the statistics described above. We keep Stripe billing records for as long as we are required to for accounting.
Your rights
You can ask us what information we hold about you, ask us to correct it, or ask us to delete it. Email info@buildconnect.ae and we will respond. If you sent an enquiry to a company through BuildConnect, that company holds a copy too; we will pass a deletion request on to it.
Contact
Email info@buildconnect.ae or call / WhatsApp +971 50 540 2650. See also our Terms of Service.
Changes and governing law
We may update this policy; when we do, we will change the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. BuildConnect is operated from the United Arab Emirates and this policy is governed by the laws of the United Arab Emirates.