How do I file a trademark in the Emirates?

The trademark filing procedure in the United Arab Emirates takes 1 to 6 months. This registration is valid only in the Emirates, not internationally.

The steps

Here are the main steps of the procedure:

01

Trademark to be filed

Choose your trademark and check that it is available and not being used by another entity. If the trademark is already in use, you will not be able to register it.

02

Application submission

The application is paperless and completed entirely online on the Ministry of Economy's website.

03

Approval

After a complete review of your application by the Ministry of Economy, you should receive approval within thirty (30) days.

Please note: any incomplete application will be rejected. You can still appeal or amend your application.

04

Publication in local newspapers

Once your trademark registration application has been approved, you will need to publish a notice in the official gazette and in two local Arabic-language newspapers - at your expense - for one day.

After publication in the newspapers, the public has thirty (30) days to challenge your trademark.

05

Trademark name registration certificate

Once the thirty (30)-day period has passed, if no one has come forward, you may consider your trademark to be your property. The Ministry will provide you with a trademark registration certificate in Dubai. This certificate contains important information such as:

  • the trademark registration number;
  • the trade name;
  • the owner's name,
  • the trademark itself;
  • a description of the products and services covered by it.

Please note: a trademark is registered for a period of ten (10) years in Dubai, after which the registration must be renewed.

This registration is valid only within the seven Emirates and not internationally.