Why register a trademark in the UAE
A registration in Russia, Kazakhstan or the EU does not protect your brand in the Emirates. The UAE follows a first-to-file principle: rights go to whoever files first, not whoever used the brand first. If your distributor or partner registers the mark in its own name, getting it back is slow and expensive.
Trademark registration in the UAE makes sense if you are:
- entering the UAE market or setting up a company here;
- selling through a distributor, franchisee or marketplaces;
- planning to sell the business — a registered mark adds value.
The registry and the law
Trademarks are registered federally by the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism. A single registration covers every emirate, free zones included. The governing law is Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2021 on Trademarks.
Goods and services are specified under the international Nice Classification. Registration lasts 10 years from the filing date and can be renewed. The UAE is also part of the Madrid System, so an international registration designating the UAE is possible — we assess whether it suits you.
Steps to register a trademark
- Clearance. We search the registry for identical and similar marks and assess the risk of refusal or opposition.
- Choosing Nice classes. We draft the specification of goods and services to cover your current and planned business.
- Preparing and filing. Mark representation, applicant details, power of attorney. Documents executed abroad generally need legalisation — see powers of attorney & legalisation.
- Examination. The registry examines the application; if it raises objections, we respond.
- Publication and opposition. Accepted applications are published, after which third parties have 30 days to oppose.
- Registration. Once the registration fee is paid, the certificate is issued.
Overall timing depends on registry workload, examination objections and any oppositions — typically several months.
Oppositions and enforcement
- filing oppositions against third-party marks that are confusingly similar to yours;
- defending your application against oppositions;
- sending demand letters to infringers and to platforms selling counterfeits;
- representing you in administrative and court proceedings — see litigation in the UAE;
- drafting licence agreements and trademark assignments.
A distributor's use of your brand is best pinned down in the contract from day one — see contracts & cross-border deals.
How the work runs
Send us the logo or word mark and a description of your business — we reply within 30 minutes during business hours. Within 1–2 days we run a preliminary search and quote a fixed fee. Everything else is handled remotely under a power of attorney, with a report at each stage.
Fees
Registration is a fixed-price project from AED 5,000 for our work. Official filing, publication and registration fees depend on the number of classes, are billed separately and listed in the estimate. Oppositions and disputes are quoted separately.
FAQ
No. Trademark protection is territorial: to be protected in the UAE, the mark must be registered in the UAE — directly or via the Madrid System designating the UAE.
No. A registration with the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism covers the whole country, including free zones.
Usually several months. It takes longer if the examiner raises objections or a third party files an opposition.
Yes. A foreign individual or company can apply; you will need a power of attorney for a UAE representative.