Privacy Policy

Last updated 16 Aug 2026

Who controls your data

Ostadi is the data controller. Our field of activity is operating an online marketplace that introduces students to private tutors. Our address is Kingdom of Bahrain.

What we collect

Your mobile number and the verification codes sent to it. Your name, role and preferred language. If you teach: your profile — subjects, grades, areas, languages, availability, price, bio, and a profile photo if you choose to upload one. Whatever you write in requests, offers, bookings, lesson reports and reviews. Basic technical data such as your IP address and browser, which our hosting and analytics providers record.

Why we use it

To sign you in, to show teacher profiles to students, to carry a request through to a booking, to notify you when something needs your attention, and to keep the service secure and free of abuse. We do not sell your data. We do not collect sensitive personal data — race, ethnicity, political or religious belief, union membership, criminal record, health or sexual status — and you should not put any of it into a profile, request or review.

What you must give us, and what happens if you do not

Your mobile number and your name are required: without the number we cannot verify you or create an account, and without a name the other party cannot know who they are meeting. Everything else — your area, languages, availability, bio, and the wording of requests and reviews — is optional, though a teacher profile with gaps is harder to find and less likely to be booked.

Phone verification

We send a one-time code by SMS to confirm the number is yours. Your number is the identity of your account, which is why it cannot be used for two accounts.

Who processes your data

A small number of specialized technology partners host our database, handle authentication, deliver SMS verification codes, and host the site with its analytics and performance measurement. Each acts as our data processor under written terms, may process your data only on our instructions, and is bound to security obligations equivalent to our own.

Your consent to storing data outside Bahrain

Our database and the site both run from Tokyo, Japan, and our SMS provider operates internationally, so your personal data is stored and processed outside the Kingdom of Bahrain. Bahraini law allows this transfer where you consent to it. By creating an account you give that consent. The transfer is also necessary for us to provide the service you are asking us for. If you do not want your data transferred outside Bahrain, do not create an account — you can still browse teachers without one.

Contact details are shared

When a booking is confirmed or a course seat is approved, we deliberately show your name and phone number to the other party so the lesson can be arranged. By making or accepting a booking you consent to that disclosure. It is the core of how Ostadi works, and it cannot be undone once shown.

Direct marketing

We do not use your data for direct marketing and we do not pass it to anyone who does. The messages we send are limited to your one-time login codes and notifications about your own requests, bookings and lessons. If we ever introduce marketing messages we will tell you first, and you have the right to object free of charge.

Cookies

We set cookies to keep you signed in, and to remember your language. The analytics tools we use measure page traffic and performance. There is no advertising or cross-site tracking on Ostadi.

How long we keep it

We keep your account and its history for as long as your account exists. If you ask us to delete your account, we remove your profile and personal details. Bookings and reviews that another user relies on may be kept, but in a form that can no longer be linked to you.

Your rights

You may ask us to confirm what data we hold about you, where it came from, why we process it and who receives it — we will answer free of charge within 15 working days. You may ask us to correct anything inaccurate, ask us to delete your account, and object to processing that causes you serious harm. Message us on Instagram to exercise any of these. If we refuse, or if we do not answer in time, you may complain to the Personal Data Protection Authority.

Children

Ostadi accounts are for adults. A parent or guardian should hold the account and arrange lessons on a child's behalf; a dedicated parent role is not yet available. Do not create an account for a child.

Contact us

Questions about this page, or a request about your data? Message us on Instagram and we will reply: @ostadi.bh