Trademark registration in the UAE
UAE trademarks are registered with the Ministry of Economy. A registered trademark is protected federally across all seven emirates for 10 years (renewable indefinitely).
Classes and the Nice Classification
The UAE uses the international Nice Classification system — 45 classes covering goods and services. Each class is a separate filing fee. Most ArxSetup clients file in 2-4 classes covering their product, marketing and packaging.
Cost
Government fee: AED 8,750 per class. ArxSetup professional fee: from USD 1,500 per class (filing, examination response, publication). All-in: from USD 5,500 per class including government and our fee. GCC extension (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman) on separate national filings.
Timeline
8-12 months from filing to registration. Provisional protection from filing date. Two-month publication period for opposition. Examination response (if required) is typically 60-90 days.
Process steps
1. Prior-art search — confirms availability and similarity to existing marks. 2. Filing with MoEC. 3. Examination by MoEC examiners. 4. Publication in Official Gazette. 5. Opposition period (60 days). 6. Registration certificate issued. 7. Renewal at year 10.
Common mistakes
Filing without prior-art search (often leads to rejection). Filing in too few classes (covers product but not packaging). Failing to use the mark within 5 years (cancellation risk). Filing without professional translation of non-English/Arabic marks.
Updated 16 May 2026 by ArxSetup, Managing Partner.