How to Register a Trademark in the UAE?

How to Register a Trademark in the UAE: Costs & Steps

If you're launching a brand here — or you've been trading under a name for years and finally want it protected — you need to register your trademark with the UAE Ministry of Economy. The process changed materially after Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2021 came into force, and the fees are higher than most founders expect.

Quick answer

To register a trademark in the UAE, you file an application through the Ministry of Economy's online portal under Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2021 on Trademarks. You pick your Nice classification class, pay AED 750 for the application, wait for examination (about 30–60 days), publish in two local newspapers and the Trademark Bulletin, and — assuming no opposition within 30 days of publication — pay the AED 5,000 registration fee. Total realistic cost per class: around AED 6,700–7,500. Protection lasts 10 years and is renewable.

The actual steps to register a trademark in the UAE

Start by searching the existing register. The Ministry of Economy runs a free public search on its trademark portal. Do this before anything else. I've seen clients spend months building brand assets only to discover an identical mark already exists in Class 35.

Next, pick your class. The UAE follows the Nice Classification (11th edition), and as of 2017 the country also accepts multi-class applications — but you still pay per class. Most retail and e-commerce businesses need Class 35 at minimum. Restaurants need 43. Software companies usually need 9 and 42.

Then file online through the Ministry of Economy portal (economy.gov.ae). You'll need:

• A clear image of the mark
• Applicant details (trade licence if you're a UAE entity, or priority documents if claiming Paris Convention priority)
• A power of attorney, notarised and legalised, if an agent is filing for you
• Goods/services description matching your class

The examiner reviews on absolute and relative grounds. Expect 30–60 days. If accepted, you publish in two Arabic newspapers and the official Trademark Bulletin. The 30-day opposition window starts from publication date — not filing date — and frankly this is where most disputes happen.

No opposition? Pay the AED 5,000 registration fee and you get your certificate. The whole thing takes 6–12 months in practice.^[1][2]

What it actually costs

The Ministry of Economy revised its fee schedule under Cabinet Resolution No. 22 of 2023, and the numbers are not trivial:

Costs per class (2024) - Application filing: AED 750 - Publication: AED 750 - Registration fee: AED 5,000 - Newspaper publication: roughly AED 1,000–1,500 - Total per class: ~AED 7,500

Add agent fees on top if you're using a lawyer or IP firm — typically AED 3,000–6,000 per class for full filing-to-registration handling. Renewal at year 10 costs AED 5,000 again, plus a 3-month grace period at AED 1,000 extra if you miss the deadline.^[2]

If you're filing in five classes, you're looking at AED 37,000+ in government fees alone. Pick your classes carefully.

Common reasons applications get rejected

Descriptive marks. "Dubai Bakery" for a bakery in Dubai isn't getting through. Neither is "Premium Coffee" for coffee. Article 3 of Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2021 lists what can't be registered, and the examiners apply it strictly.^[1]

Marks similar to existing registrations in the same class. The examiner will cite prior marks and you'll get a chance to respond — but if it's genuinely close, you'll lose.

Marks containing flags, official emblems, or names of public bodies without authorisation. Also banned: anything contrary to public order or Islamic values, which is interpreted broadly. Alcohol-related branding gets extra scrutiny.

Watch out: Using a mark commercially before registering it doesn't give you bulletproof rights in the UAE. The first-to-file principle dominates here, with limited protection for well-known marks under Article 4. If someone else registers your unregistered brand name first, getting it back is expensive and slow.

After you register: what protection actually gives you

A registered UAE trademark gives you exclusive rights in the classes you registered for, valid 10 years from filing date, renewable indefinitely in 10-year blocks. You can sue for infringement, file customs recordal with Dubai Customs to block counterfeit imports, and license or assign the mark.

The 2021 law also strengthened criminal penalties — counterfeiting now carries up to AED 1 million in fines and potential imprisonment under Article 49.^[1]

One thing most clients get wrong: a UAE trademark only protects you in the UAE. If you're selling into Saudi Arabia, Oman, or anywhere else GCC, you need separate filings. The GCC Trademark Law harmonised some procedural rules but didn't create a unified registration — each country is its own filing.

For broader coverage, consider the Madrid Protocol. The UAE joined in 2021, so you can now designate the UAE from an international application, or use a UAE base registration to extend abroad. Cheaper than filing country by country if you need 5+ jurisdictions.

Need this checked for your situation? Talk to a UAE-licensed lawyer →

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Citations:

^[1] Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2021 on Trademarks, UAE Ministry of Justice — https://elaws.moj.gov.ae

^[2] UAE Ministry of Economy, Trademark Services and Fees — https://www.moec.gov.ae/en/trademarks

^[3] Cabinet Resolution No. 22 of 2023 on Trademark Service Fees, UAE Official Gazette