Overview
Dawar is a mobile marketplace that helps car owners in Egypt find spare parts and car-service workshops from nearby sellers, and helps shops list and manage their parts and services.
This policy explains what personal data we collect, why, who we share it with, and the choices and rights you have. Dawar operates this app and acts as the controller of the personal data described here. In this policy, “Dawar”, “we” and “us” refer to the operator of the Dawar app.
Data we collect
We collect only what we need to run the marketplace:
Account & profile
- Your name, phone number and city.
- Optionally, your email address and a username.
- Your account type / capabilities (buyer and/or seller).
Authentication
- We sign you in with a one-time code sent by SMS to your phone, and/or a password you set.
- To protect your account, we record sign-in events (such as success/failure and time).
Your activity in the app
- Vehicles you save (make, model, year).
- Favourites and items in your cart.
- Pickup orders you place and the items in them.
- Messages you send to sellers, and reviews you leave after completed orders.
- Searches you run and listings you view.
Content you upload
- Photos you choose from your camera or photo library — for listings, your shop logo, or feedback.
Seller & shop data
- If you open a shop: shop name, address, city, logo, bio, WhatsApp number, your store's map location, and optionally a tax registration number and commercial registration number.
Device & technical
- Basic information needed to run the app and connect to our backend.
- A push-notification token, if you enable notifications (see Notifications).
- Your device location, only when you use a location feature (see Location data).
Support & feedback
- Messages, problem reports, and beta feedback you send us, including an optional screenshot.
Why we collect it
- To operate the marketplace — create your account, sign you in, show relevant parts and services, and connect buyers with sellers.
- To personalise results — filter parts and services that fit your saved car and, if you allow location, sort by what's nearest.
- To enable contact you initiate — in-app chat, WhatsApp or a phone call to a seller.
- To handle pickup orders and reviews.
- To keep the marketplace safe — moderate listings and shops, review reports, and prevent fraud and abuse.
- To send notifications you've chosen (see Notifications).
- To improve search and the product.
- To meet legal obligations where they apply.
We rely on the following legal bases, as applicable: performance of our agreement with you (to provide the Service), your consent (for example, location access and push notifications), our legitimate interests (keeping the marketplace safe and improving it), and compliance with legal obligations.
We do not sell your personal data, and we do not use third-party advertising trackers.
Location data
Location is used in two places, and only when you choose to use them:
- Buyers: the optional “Nearest” sort uses your device location to order results by distance.
- Sellers: when setting your store location, you can use your current location or drop a pin on the map.
We request location only while you are using the app (“when in use”). You can decline and still use the rest of Dawar — you simply won't get distance-based features. You can change the permission at any time in your device settings.
The in-app map displays satellite imagery from a third-party tile provider (Esri / ArcGIS). When the map loads, that provider receives standard request information (such as your IP address and which map tiles are requested) in order to serve the imagery. Address look-ups use your device's built-in geocoder.
A seller's saved store location is shown publicly on their shop profile so buyers can find the shop and get directions.
Account information
Your profile (name, phone, city, and optionally email and username) is something you can view and edit in the app under Profile and Settings. Your phone number is used to sign you in and — only when you choose to contact a seller — to let that seller reach you.
You can permanently delete your account and associated data at any time. See Delete your account.
Seller information
If you open a shop, you provide additional business details. Shops are reviewed and approved by our team before they become publicly visible.
- Your public shop profile may show your shop name, city, bio, logo, store location, ratings and your active listings.
- A tax registration number and/or commercial registration number, if you provide them, are used to display a “registered business” indicator to buyers and to help us verify shops.
- As a seller you can see leads, pickup orders, reviews and messages relating to your own shop only.
Notifications
Dawar sends in-app notifications grouped into categories — for example orders, messages, reviews, listing performance, listing expirations, marketplace recommendations and tips. You control which categories you receive in the app's notification settings.
Push notifications: if and when push is enabled, we store a device push token so we can deliver alerts, and your operating system will ask for your permission. Push messages are delivered through Apple Push Notification service (iOS) and Firebase Cloud Messaging (Android). You can turn push off at any time in the app or in your device settings.
Analytics
We use first-party, privacy-respecting analytics within our own systems — for example aggregate search terms and how often listings are viewed — to improve search results and understand how the marketplace is used. We do not embed third-party analytics or advertising SDKs in the app.
Sharing & sub-processors
We share data only as needed to run the service. We do not sell personal data or share it for third-party advertising.
- With other users as part of how the marketplace works — e.g. a seller's public shop profile and listings are visible to buyers; your phone number is shared with a seller only when you choose to contact them.
- For legal reasons — to comply with the law or protect rights, safety and the integrity of the service.
We also rely on the following sub-processors to operate Dawar. Each acts on our instructions under a data-processing agreement, and receives only the data needed for its function:
| Provider | Purpose | Processing location |
|---|---|---|
| Supabase | Backend platform: database, authentication, file/image storage and hosting of the app's data. | Cloud infrastructure that may be located outside Egypt. |
| SMS delivery provider | Sending one-time verification codes by SMS when you sign in. | Regional / international telecom routing. |
| Esri / ArcGIS | Map satellite imagery and map tiles used when a map is displayed. | Global content-delivery network. |
| Apple Push Notification service | Delivering push notifications to iOS devices. | Apple infrastructure (international). |
| Firebase Cloud Messaging (Google) | Delivering push notifications to Android devices. | Google infrastructure (international). |
Data hosting & international transfers
Dawar's core data is hosted on the Supabase platform. Depending on the provider's configuration, your data may be stored and processed on servers located outside the Arab Republic of Egypt. Push-notification and map-imagery providers listed above also operate internationally.
Where data is transferred outside Egypt, we take steps to keep it protected, including:
- working only with established providers that offer recognised security and privacy commitments;
- contractual data-processing terms that require providers to protect your data and use it only on our instructions;
- encryption of data in transit and access controls that limit who can reach it.
Retention & deletion
We keep your data while your account is active and as needed to provide the service. When you delete your account, your personal data is removed as described on the Delete your account page, except for the limited records set out below that we must keep to comply with law or to resolve disputes and prevent abuse.
| Data | Retention |
|---|---|
| Account & profile, saved cars, favourites, cart | Kept while your account is active; deleted when you delete your account. |
| Messages, orders and reviews | Kept while your account is active; removed on deletion, except where needed to resolve an open dispute. |
| Sign-in & security logs | Up to 12 months, then deleted or anonymised. |
| Fraud- and abuse-prevention records | Up to 24 months after account deletion. |
| Records we are legally required to keep (e.g. tax / accounting records relating to a seller's business) | For the period required by applicable Egyptian law (generally up to 5 years). |
Records retained after deletion. After you delete your account we retain only what is necessary: legally required records (as above), records needed to resolve an open dispute, and a minimal internal record confirming the deletion and helping prevent repeat abuse. These records are kept secure and are not used to rebuild your profile.
Security
We take reasonable measures to protect your data:
- Data is encrypted in transit (HTTPS).
- Our backend enforces row-level security, so each user can access only their own data, plus least-privilege access controls.
- We log sign-in events and alert our team to suspicious activity.
No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security. Keep your device and login details safe.
Your rights
Subject to applicable law, you may have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you.
- Correct inaccurate data — you can edit your profile in the app.
- Delete your account and data — see Delete your account.
- Object to or restrict certain processing — for example by turning off notification categories.
- Withdraw consent you previously gave, such as location access (in your device settings).
- Data portability, where applicable.
To exercise a right, edit your settings in the app or contact us. We may need to verify your identity (for example, via your registered phone number) before acting, to protect your account.
Minimum age & under-age users
Dawar is intended for adults. You must be at least 18 years old to create an account or use the Service. Dawar is not directed at anyone under 18, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from people under 18.
If we learn that we have collected personal data from someone under 18, we will delete that data and close the account. If you believe a minor has provided us with personal data, please contact us so we can act.
Complaints & supervisory authority
If you have a concern about how we handle your data, please contact us first — we'll do our best to resolve it. You may also have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent data-protection authority in the Arab Republic of Egypt, established under the Personal Data Protection Law (Law No. 151 of 2020), or with your local supervisory authority where you live.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as the product evolves. We will revise the “last updated” date above and, where appropriate, notify you in the app. Continued use of Dawar after an update means you accept the revised policy.
Contact
For privacy questions or to exercise your rights, reach us at:
- Email: support@dawar-app.com
- In-app: use the Support / feedback option inside the app.