Last updated: 27.05.2026
Hala Sham ("we", "us") operates a vacation-rental marketplace for Syria. This policy explains what personal data we collect, why, who we share it with, and the rights you have. By using Hala Sham you agree to this policy.
1. Who we are
Hala Sham, operator of halasham.com. For any privacy request, contact us at qutaiba@halasham.com.
2. Data we collect
Account data: first and last name, email, phone number, preferred language, profile photo and bio (if you add them).
Identity verification (optional): government-issued ID document images you upload to verify your account. Stored in a private, access-controlled store.
Booking data: the listings you book, travel dates, number of guests, and prices.
Payment data: proof-of-payment images you upload (e.g. bank-transfer or Hawala receipts). We do not process card payments and do not store card numbers.
Listing data (hosts): property details, address, photos and pricing you publish.
Technical data: IP address, device/browser information, and cookies (see our Cookie Policy).
Communications: messages you send through the platform and, if enabled, via email or WhatsApp.
3. Why we use it
To create and manage your account and listings.
To process bookings, verify payments, and reveal host contact details after verification.
To verify identity and keep the marketplace safe.
To send transactional notifications (booking updates, reminders) by email, in-app, and — if enabled — WhatsApp.
To send marketing emails only if you opted in; you can opt out anytime.
To measure and improve the service, and — only with your consent — for advertising measurement (see "Advertising & Meta").
4. Who we share data with (processors)
We share the minimum necessary with service providers who process data on our behalf, under contract and only for the purposes below:
Cloud database, authentication & file-storage provider — to store your account, listings, bookings and uploaded documents securely.
Website hosting & content-delivery provider — to serve the website.
Email delivery provider — to send transactional email and, if you opted in, marketing email.
Messaging provider — to deliver the WhatsApp notifications you enabled.
Meta (Facebook/Instagram) — advertising measurement, only with your consent (see below).
We do not sell your personal data. A current list of the specific providers we use is available on request from qutaiba@halasham.com.
5. Advertising & Meta
If — and only if — you accept marketing cookies in our consent banner, we use the Meta Pixel and Meta Conversions API to measure ad performance and show you relevant ads. For this we may send Meta a hashed (irreversibly scrambled) version of your email, phone, and name, plus your IP address and browser type. You can refuse or withdraw this at any time via "Cookie settings" — doing so stops this sharing going forward.
6. Retention
We retain personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this policy. Generally, we retain your account details. We retain identity documents and proof of payment only to the extent necessary for verification, security, and resolution. We maintain monitoring and transaction records necessary for compliance with our legal, tax, and accounting requirements. We retain marketing communications data until you unsubscribe. We then delete or anonymize the data when it is no longer needed.
7. Your rights
Access / correct most data directly in your account settings.
Withdraw marketing consent anytime (email preferences, or the cookie banner for ad tracking).
Delete your account from Account Settings, which deactivates your profile.
Request a copy or full erasure of your data by emailing qutaiba@halasham.com; we will action this and remove your data from our advertising and email tools.
8. Children
Hala Sham is not intended for anyone under 18.
9. Changes & contact
We may update this policy; material changes will be announced in-app. Questions: qutaiba@halasham.com. Governing law: Syrian Law.
