Cookie Policy
Cookie Policy
Effective Date: March 25, 2026 Last Updated: March 25, 2026
This Cookie Policy explains what cookies are, how Saudi Arabia Houses (“we,” “us,” or “our”) uses cookies and similar tracking technologies on saudiarabiahouses.com (the “Site”), what types of cookies we use, and how you can manage your cookie preferences. This policy should be read alongside our Privacy Policy.
1. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are stored on your device (computer, tablet, or mobile phone) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently, provide information to site owners, and enhance user experience. Cookies contain information that is transferred to your device’s storage and can be read by the website that placed them or by third-party services integrated into the website.
Cookies can be “session” cookies, which are deleted when you close your browser, or “persistent” cookies, which remain on your device for a set period of time or until you delete them manually. Session cookies are typically used to maintain your browsing state within a single visit — for example, remembering your cookie consent choice while you navigate between pages. Persistent cookies serve functions that span multiple visits, such as remembering your preferences or providing analytics data about returning visitors.
Cookies can be set by the website you are visiting (“first-party cookies”) or by third parties whose services are integrated into the website (“third-party cookies”). First-party cookies are controlled by the Site operator, while third-party cookies are controlled by external service providers such as Google Analytics and Google AdSense. The distinction matters for privacy because third-party cookies can potentially track your browsing activity across multiple websites.
2. How We Use Cookies
We use cookies for the following purposes:
2.1 Essential Cookies
These cookies are strictly necessary for the Site to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are typically set in response to actions you take, such as setting your cookie consent preferences, adjusting privacy settings, or accessing secure areas of the Site. Without these cookies, the Site cannot function properly.
Essential cookies do not require your consent under privacy regulations including the GDPR and ePrivacy Directive because they are necessary for the provision of the service you have requested. You can configure your browser to block these cookies, but doing so may affect the functionality of the Site.
| Cookie Name | Provider | Purpose | Duration | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| cc_consent | saudiarabiahouses.com | Stores your cookie consent preferences (analytics and advertising choices) so the consent banner does not reappear on subsequent visits | 12 months | First-party |
2.2 Analytics Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of the Site. They help us understand which pages are the most and least popular, how visitors navigate between pages, where visitors come from geographically and by referral source, and how long visitors spend on different sections of the Site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. These cookies do not identify individual visitors.
These cookies are set only after you provide consent through our cookie consent banner. If you do not consent, we do not collect analytics data and operate the Site without visibility into traffic patterns and user behaviour.
| Cookie Name | Provider | Purpose | Duration | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| _ga | Google Analytics | Distinguishes unique users by assigning a randomly generated number as a client identifier. Included in each page request and used to calculate visitor, session, and campaign data for site analytics reports. | 2 years | Third-party |
| ga[ID] | Google Analytics 4 | Used to persist session state. Contains a unique identifier for the GA4 property associated with the Site. Enables measurement of user interactions across page loads within a session. | 2 years | Third-party |
| _gid | Google Analytics | Stores and updates a unique value for each page visited. Used to distinguish users and calculate daily active user metrics. Resets every 24 hours. | 24 hours | Third-party |
| _gat | Google Analytics | Used to throttle the request rate to Google Analytics, limiting data collection on high-traffic sites. Helps prevent data overload and ensures efficient analytics processing. | 1 minute | Third-party |
2.3 Advertising Cookies
These cookies are used by Google AdSense and Google’s advertising network to serve advertisements that are relevant to your interests. They may track your browsing behaviour across websites to build an interest profile and show relevant ads on other sites you visit. Advertising cookies also help measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns and prevent the same advertisements from being displayed repeatedly.
These cookies are set only after you provide consent through our cookie consent banner. If you do not consent, advertisements will still appear on the Site (as they are served by Google AdSense as part of our revenue model) but they will be generic rather than personalised to your browsing history and interests.
| Cookie Name | Provider | Purpose | Duration | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| __gads | Google AdSense | Measures interactions with ads displayed on the Site, preventing the same ads from being shown repeatedly. Tracks whether you have clicked, viewed, or interacted with specific advertisements. | 13 months | Third-party |
| __gpi | Google Publisher Ads | Used to serve ads on publisher websites within Google’s ad network. Facilitates the selection of advertisements from Google’s inventory for display on the Site. | 13 months | Third-party |
| _gcl_au | Google AdSense | Used to store and track conversions. Helps attribute ad interactions to subsequent actions such as visiting an advertiser’s website after clicking an ad on the Site. | 90 days | Third-party |
| IDE | Google DoubleClick | Used to serve targeted advertisements across Google’s ad network based on browsing behaviour. Enables frequency capping (limiting how often you see the same ad) and attribution reporting. | 13 months | Third-party |
| NID | Stores visitor preferences and information to customise ads on Google properties. Contains a unique identifier used to remember your preferences and other information such as your preferred language. | 6 months | Third-party | |
| DSID | Used to identify a signed-in user on non-Google sites to respect ad personalisation preferences that you have set in your Google account settings. | 2 weeks | Third-party | |
| 1P_JAR | Gathers website statistics and tracks conversion rates for Google ads. Used to determine the effectiveness of advertising campaigns. | 1 month | Third-party | |
| CONSENT | Tracks the user’s consent status for Google services. Records whether you have accepted or declined various Google service terms and cookie permissions. | 20 years | Third-party | |
| DV | Used for advertising purposes and to provide relevance through ad tracking. Helps Google’s ad systems deliver advertisements that are relevant to the content you are viewing. | Session | Third-party |
3. Google Consent Mode v2
The Site implements Google Consent Mode v2 to manage cookies in compliance with privacy regulations, including the GDPR and ePrivacy Directive. Consent Mode v2 is a framework developed by Google that allows websites to adjust the behaviour of Google tags based on the consent status of visitors. This system ensures that Google’s services respect your privacy choices while still providing aggregated measurement data where permitted.
3.1 Default State
When you first visit the Site, all non-essential cookies are blocked by default. The following consent signals are set to “denied” in the Google tag configuration:
- ad_storage: Controls whether advertising cookies (such as __gads, IDE, NID) can be set on your device. When denied, no advertising cookies are placed and ad personalisation is disabled.
- ad_user_data: Controls whether user data can be sent to Google for advertising purposes. When denied, no user-level data is transmitted to Google’s advertising systems.
- ad_personalization: Controls whether data can be used for ad personalisation, including remarketing and interest-based advertising. When denied, ads are served generically.
- analytics_storage: Controls whether analytics cookies (such as _ga, _gid) can be set. When denied, Google Analytics operates in cookieless mode, collecting only aggregated signals without storing persistent identifiers on your device.
This default-denied configuration ensures that no tracking occurs before you make a consent decision, complying with the GDPR principle that consent must be freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous.
3.2 Consent Banner
A cookie consent banner appears at the bottom of the page on your first visit, offering three options:
- Accept All: Grants consent for all cookie categories. All Google tags function fully, analytics cookies are set, and advertisements are personalised based on your browsing behaviour. This provides the richest Site experience and helps us improve content through analytics insights.
- Reject Non-Essential: Denies consent for analytics and advertising cookies. Only the essential cc_consent cookie is used. Google tags operate in limited mode, collecting only aggregated, non-identifying signals such as page load events without persistent user identification.
- Manage Preferences: Opens a detailed panel where you can individually toggle analytics and advertising cookie categories. This allows you to accept analytics cookies (helping us improve the Site) while rejecting advertising cookies (preventing ad personalisation), or vice versa.
3.3 Consent Persistence
Your consent preferences are stored in your browser’s localStorage under the key “cc_consent.” On subsequent visits, your preferences are automatically restored without showing the consent banner again. This means you only need to make a consent decision once unless you clear your browser data.
The localStorage approach was chosen over a cookie-based consent record because localStorage data is not sent to the server with each HTTP request, reducing data transmission. Additionally, localStorage has no expiration date — your preferences persist until you explicitly clear them — providing a more durable record of your consent decision compared to cookies that can expire or be automatically deleted by browser privacy features.
3.4 Changing Preferences
You can change your cookie preferences at any time by:
- Clearing your browser’s localStorage for saudiarabiahouses.com, which will cause the consent banner to reappear on your next visit.
- Deleting all cookies from saudiarabiahouses.com in your browser settings, which removes any analytics or advertising cookies that were previously set.
- Using your browser’s private/incognito mode for a fresh session where no previous consent is recorded and the default-denied configuration applies.
- Using browser extensions that manage cookie consent automatically, such as uBlock Origin, Privacy Badger, or similar tools.
When you change your preferences from “Accept” to “Reject,” any analytics or advertising cookies that were previously set remain on your device until they expire or you manually delete them. However, our systems will no longer read or update those cookies, and Google Consent Mode ensures that no new data is collected under those cookies.
4. Similar Technologies
In addition to cookies, we may use the following technologies:
4.1 Web Beacons (Pixel Tags)
Small transparent images embedded in web pages or emails that allow us to track whether content has been accessed. Google AdSense and Google Analytics may use web beacons in conjunction with cookies. Web beacons are typically 1x1 pixel images that are invisible to the user and trigger a server request when the page loads, allowing the service provider to record that the page was viewed. Web beacons do not store information on your device but can be used in conjunction with cookies to associate page views with cookie identifiers.
4.2 Local Storage
We use localStorage (a browser feature) to store your cookie consent preferences. Unlike cookies, localStorage data is not sent to the server with each request and has no expiration date unless explicitly cleared. localStorage is limited to the specific domain that set it — data stored by saudiarabiahouses.com cannot be accessed by other websites. We do not use localStorage for tracking or advertising purposes; it is used exclusively for consent management.
4.3 JavaScript Tags
Google Analytics and Google AdSense use JavaScript tags (also called “snippets” or “pixels”) to collect data. These tags execute in your browser when you load a page containing them and communicate with Google’s servers. The tags are configured through Google Tag Manager and respect the consent signals set by Google Consent Mode v2. When consent is denied, the JavaScript still loads but operates in a restricted mode that does not set cookies or transmit identifying information.
4.4 Server Logs
Our hosting provider (Cloudflare) maintains server logs that record basic request information including IP addresses, requested URLs, timestamps, HTTP status codes, and referrer headers. These logs are used for security monitoring, DDoS protection, and performance optimisation. Server logs are maintained by Cloudflare under their Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. We do not have direct access to individual server log entries.
5. Managing Cookies in Your Browser
Most web browsers allow you to manage cookies through their settings. You can:
- View cookies: See what cookies are stored on your device from any website.
- Delete cookies: Remove some or all stored cookies from your device.
- Block cookies: Prevent websites from setting new cookies.
- Allow exceptions: Allow cookies from specific sites while blocking others.
Browser-Specific Instructions:
- Chrome: Settings → Privacy and Security → Cookies and other site data → See all cookies and site data
- Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data → Manage Data
- Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Manage Website Data
- Edge: Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Cookies and site data → See all cookies and site data
- Opera: Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data
Additionally, you can opt out of Google Analytics tracking across all websites by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. You can manage Google advertising preferences through Google Ad Settings.
Note that blocking all cookies may affect the functionality of the Site and other websites you visit. Essential site features such as consent preference storage depend on cookies or localStorage, and blocking both may result in a degraded browsing experience.
6. Impact of Cookie Choices
6.1 If You Accept All Cookies
All site features function normally. Analytics data helps us improve the Site by identifying popular content, detecting navigation issues, and measuring the impact of new features. You may see personalised advertisements relevant to your interests, which may provide more useful information than generic ads. Google’s full analytics and advertising capabilities operate, providing us with comprehensive audience insights.
6.2 If You Reject Non-Essential Cookies
The Site functions normally for content consumption. All articles, dashboards, data, and interactive features work as expected. We cannot collect detailed analytics data to improve the Site, though Google Consent Mode v2 still provides aggregated, non-identifying signals (such as total page load counts) that give us basic traffic visibility. Advertisements will be generic (not personalised to your interests) but will still appear as part of the Site’s Google AdSense integration. Google tags operate in limited mode, collecting only the minimum signals permitted under Consent Mode v2.
6.3 If You Block All Cookies
Essential site functionality may be affected. Your consent preferences cannot be saved, so you may see the consent banner on every visit. Some interactive features that depend on session state may not function correctly. Content will still be accessible, but the browsing experience may be less seamless.
7. Third-Party Cookie Policies
For more information about how third parties use cookies and how to opt out of their tracking:
- Google Analytics: How Google Uses Information from Sites That Use Our Services
- Google AdSense: Google Advertising Cookies
- Google Privacy: Google Privacy Policy
- Google Ad Settings: Manage Your Ad Preferences
- Google Analytics Opt-out: Browser Add-on
- Cloudflare: Cloudflare Cookie Policy
- Digital Advertising Alliance: DAA Opt-Out Tool
- Network Advertising Initiative: NAI Opt-Out Tool
8. International Users
The Site is accessible globally and serves users across multiple jurisdictions. Our cookie practices are designed to comply with the strictest applicable privacy regulations, including:
- GDPR (EU/EEA): Consent Mode v2 default-denied configuration ensures compliance with GDPR consent requirements. No non-essential cookies are set without explicit opt-in consent.
- UK GDPR and PECR: The same consent-first approach applies to users in the United Kingdom.
- Saudi Arabia PDPL: Saudi Arabia’s Personal Data Protection Law governs the processing of personal data within the Kingdom. Our cookie consent mechanism satisfies PDPL requirements for data processing consent.
- CCPA/CPRA (California): California residents may exercise rights regarding their personal information under the California Consumer Privacy Act. Our consent mechanism provides the “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information” functionality through the Reject Non-Essential option.
9. Updates to This Cookie Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. The “Last Updated” date at the top of this policy indicates when it was last revised. Material changes to our cookie practices will be communicated through an updated consent banner requiring a new consent decision. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we use cookies.
10. Contact Us
If you have questions about our use of cookies, please contact us:
Saudi Arabia Houses Operated by The Vanderbilt Portfolio AG Email: info@saudiarabiahouses.com Website: https://saudiarabiahouses.com/
For information about how we handle personal data generally, please see our Privacy Policy. For our terms governing site use, see our Terms of Service.