Register the name and logo you trade under — before someone else does
A trade licence lets you do business under a name. It does not stop anyone else from using that name, logo or slogan — only a registered trademark does. In the UAE, trademarks are registered with the Ministry of Economy, and the registration is what you rely on when a competitor copies your branding, when a distributor, marketplace or franchisee asks for proof that the brand is yours, and when you want to sell or license it.
We run the availability search, prepare and file the application, follow it through examination and publication, answer any opposition, collect the certificate and keep the renewal date so the protection never lapses. If the brand is used outside the UAE, we file in the other GCC countries as well.
Service overview
Availability search against the UAE trademark register, preparation and filing of the application with the Ministry of Economy, follow-up through examination, publication and the opposition period, replies to objections and oppositions, collection of the registration certificate, renewals, and the recordal of assignments and licence agreements. Where the brand is used across the region, parallel filings in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait. Trademark work sits within our Licensing and Compliance practice.
- Availability search before you spend on filing fees
- Application prepared, translated and filed with the Ministry of Economy
- Publication, objections and oppositions handled on your behalf
- Renewals, assignments and licence recordals tracked for the life of the mark
How registration works
1. Search. We check the UAE register for identical or confusingly similar marks in your classes. A search is not compulsory, but it tells you whether the application is likely to succeed before any government fee is paid.
2. Application. The UAE follows the international classification of goods and services, and one application is filed per class. We prepare the specification of goods or services, the mark image and the power of attorney, arrange the Arabic translation of any wording in the mark, and file with the Ministry of Economy.
3. Examination. The Ministry examines the application and issues its decision: acceptance, acceptance with conditions, or refusal. Where conditions are imposed or a refusal can be argued, we respond within the deadline.
4. Publication and opposition. An accepted mark is published in the Ministry’s trademark bulletin. Anyone who claims an earlier right can file an opposition within the opposition period that follows publication. If that happens, we are notified, we reply on your behalf, and the Ministry decides.
5. Registration. Once the opposition period closes, the registration fee is paid and the certificate is issued. It records the registration number, the filing and registration dates, the owner’s name, nationality and address, a copy of the mark and the goods or services it covers.
6. Renewal. A UAE registration runs for ten years from the filing date and can be renewed for further ten-year periods. We diarise the date and file the renewal before it falls due.
Documents you will need
- A clear image of the mark and a description of the goods or services it will cover
- Power of attorney in our favour, notarised and, for applicants outside the UAE, legalised
- Trade licence or certificate of incorporation for a company applicant; passport copy for an individual
- Copies of any existing registration or application abroad if you are claiming priority
- Legal translation into Arabic of any wording in the mark — we arrange this
- The applicant’s name, nationality and address exactly as they should appear on the certificate
Key features
Names, words, logos, slogans, letters, numerals, colours, shapes and packaging can all be registered, provided they are distinctive and not merely descriptive of the goods. Generic words, national flags and emblems, marks that offend public order or morals, and marks identical or confusingly similar to an earlier registration are refused, and marks for alcoholic beverages cannot be registered at all. Where a brand is a word plus a device, filing the word and the combination separately gives the widest protection.
The expensive mistake is trading for years under a name that was never registered, then discovering when you franchise, raise investment or challenge a copycat that the register shows somebody else. A search costs little. Recovering a mark from a third party costs a great deal more, and it does not always succeed.
Frequently asked questions
It is not compulsory, but we recommend it every time. The search shows whether anyone has an earlier right to the same or a similar mark in your classes, and therefore whether the application has a realistic chance of success before you pay the filing fee.
Ten years from the filing date. It can be renewed for further ten-year periods for as long as the mark is in use, and we track the renewal date for you.
Any sign that distinguishes your goods or services from others: names, words, signatures, letters, numerals, drawings, logos, titles, seals, pictures, patterns, packaging, colours and combinations of these. Three-dimensional shapes, sounds and other non-traditional marks can also be registered if they are distinctive.
Yes. The UAE uses the international classification of goods and services, and each class requires its own application and fee. We help you choose the classes that actually cover what you sell now and what you plan to sell.
Usually not on its own, because a personal name is not distinctive. The exception is a name that the public already associates with your specific goods or services; in that case it can be registered with evidence of that reputation.
Any party that claims an earlier right to the mark can file an opposition during the period that follows publication in the Ministry’s bulletin. We are notified of the opposition, prepare the reply and represent you until the Ministry decides.
A trademark protects the sign you trade under: a name, logo or slogan. A patent protects a new invention or process. Copyright protects original creative work such as writing, software, music and design. Many businesses need more than one, and we can advise on which applies.
No. Each GCC country keeps its own register, so the mark must be filed separately in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait. We file and manage those applications alongside the UAE one.
Government fees fall due at filing, publication and registration, with our fee on top. We quote the full amount per class in writing before anything is filed, so there are no surprises later.
7,000+companies established
2016in the UAE since
DEDrecognised by Dubai’s DED
4offices — Dubai, Riyadh, Muscat & UK
Protecting a brand? Tell us the mark, the goods or services it covers and where you trade.
Is your brand name registered?
Send us the name or logo and the goods or services it covers. We run the availability search and list the documents and government fees before you commit.
