What Is NDMO and Why Does It Matter?
The National Data Management Office (NDMO) is Saudi Arabia’s central authority for data governance, established under the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA). NDMO sets the national data governance framework that all government entities and, increasingly, private-sector organizations operating in the Kingdom must follow.
If your company handles data in Saudi Arabia — whether you are a local startup, a multinational with regional operations, or a government contractor — NDMO compliance is not optional. It is a foundational requirement that underpins other Saudi regulations like the Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) and aligns with Saudi Vision 2030’s digital transformation goals.
The Core Domains of NDMO
NDMO’s framework is organized around several key governance domains. Understanding these domains is the first step toward building a compliant programme.
Data Governance Structure
Every organization needs a defined data governance structure. This includes:
- Data Governance Council — A senior-level body responsible for data strategy and oversight
- Data Governance Office — An operational team that implements and monitors governance policies
- Data Stewards — Domain-specific owners responsible for data quality within their business areas
- Data Custodians — Technical staff who manage and secure data assets
Data Management
NDMO requires organizations to implement structured data management practices across the full data lifecycle:
- Data Architecture — Define how data flows through your organization with clear architecture diagrams and data models
- Data Quality — Establish data quality rules, measurement metrics, and remediation processes
- Metadata Management — Maintain a metadata repository that describes all data assets, their lineage, and their business context
- Master Data Management — Identify and manage master data entities to ensure consistency across systems
Data Protection and Privacy
This domain overlaps significantly with PDPL requirements and covers:
- Classification of data by sensitivity level (public, internal, confidential, highly confidential)
- Access controls and role-based permissions
- Encryption standards for data at rest and in transit
- Data retention and disposal policies
Data Sharing and Openness
NDMO promotes responsible data sharing, particularly for government entities:
- Data sharing agreements with defined terms and conditions
- Open data policies for non-sensitive government datasets
- API governance and interoperability standards
Step-by-Step: Getting Compliant
Step 1: Conduct a Data Inventory
Before you can govern your data, you need to know what you have. Start by cataloguing all data assets across your organization. Document the type of data, where it is stored, who owns it, and how it flows between systems.
Practical tip: Start with your most critical business systems — ERP, CRM, HR, and finance platforms — and expand from there.
Step 2: Establish Your Governance Structure
Appoint a Data Governance Council and designate data stewards for each major business domain. Even in a small organization, someone needs to own data governance. Document roles, responsibilities, and escalation paths.
Step 3: Develop Core Policies
At minimum, you need policies covering:
- Data classification and handling
- Data quality management
- Data access and authorization
- Data retention and disposal
- Data sharing and third-party transfers
- Incident response for data breaches
Step 4: Classify Your Data
Apply NDMO’s data classification scheme to all identified data assets. Each dataset should be labeled with its sensitivity level, and handling procedures should match the classification.
Step 5: Implement Technical Controls
Translate your policies into technical reality:
- Configure role-based access controls (RBAC) in all systems
- Enable encryption for sensitive data at rest and in transit
- Deploy audit logging to track data access and modifications
- Set up automated data quality monitoring where possible
Step 6: Train Your Team
Compliance is only as strong as the people implementing it. Conduct data governance training for all employees, with specialized training for data stewards, custodians, and IT staff.
Step 7: Monitor, Measure, and Improve
Establish KPIs to track your governance maturity:
- Percentage of data assets classified
- Data quality scores by domain
- Policy compliance rates from internal audits
- Incident response times
- Training completion rates
Review these metrics regularly at the governance council level and use them to drive continuous improvement.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
- Treating compliance as a one-time project. NDMO compliance requires ongoing governance. Build sustainable processes, not just documents.
- Ignoring data quality. Policies without data quality measurement are performative. Invest in data quality tooling and processes early.
- Siloed ownership. Data governance is an organization-wide effort. If only IT owns it, business context will be missing. If only business owns it, technical implementation will lag.
- Over-engineering from day one. Start with the fundamentals and build maturity iteratively. A simple, functioning governance programme is better than a complex one that exists only on paper.
How SeedGovernance Helps
SeedGovernance provides a complete NDMO compliance toolkit for growing companies. Our platform includes pre-built policy templates aligned to every NDMO domain, a guided assessment wizard that identifies your gaps, and operational modules for managing incidents, risks, and vendors — all mapped to NDMO controls.
Instead of starting from a blank page, you get a structured path to compliance that you can implement in weeks rather than months. Take our free assessment to see where you stand today.