UAE Unveils Digital Platform for Trademark Trading to Boost IP Monetisation
The United Arab Emirates has launched “TM Market Place,” a pioneering digital platform designed to facilitate the listing and trading of registered trademarks within a secure and transparent environment. The initiative, operational from its launch, aims to significantly enhance the valuation and commercial utilisation of intellectual property assets across the UAE.
Enhancing Intellectual Property Utilisation
The new platform connects owners of trademarks registered in the UAE with investors and entrepreneurs, providing a novel avenue for monetising intangible business assets. According to Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, the Minister of Economy and Tourism, the goal is to increase the market’s appeal to brands by 20 percent within its first year of operation.
Minister Al Marri highlighted the platform’s critical role in addressing a gap in the UAE’s business landscape, where many legally protected trademarks remain commercially underutilised. He emphasised that “TM Market Place” marks a crucial milestone in supporting the UAE’s efforts to enable intangible business assets to achieve a fair financial valuation that reflects their true worth and economic importance. The platform’s development was a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Economy and Tourism and the UAE Government Leaders Programme.
Supporting Businesses and Market Entry
“TM Market Place” is expected to particularly benefit small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and family businesses by transforming the value embedded in their trademarks into usable financial assets. The Ministry reiterated its commitment to providing an integrated, reliable, and secure digital tool that empowers trademark owners to generate returns from their registered marks.
Furthermore, the platform is poised to lower barriers for international investors and entrepreneurs seeking to enter the UAE market by offering access to existing or promising trademarks, thereby fostering new business opportunities and foreign investment.
Robust Growth in Trademark Registrations
The launch comes amidst a period of significant growth in trademark registrations within the UAE. From January to early November 2025, the country registered 34,234 national and international trademarks. The first half of 2025 alone saw 19,957 registrations, representing a 129 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024. This follows a doubling of trademark registrations in 2024 to 31,537, up from 16,712 in 2023, underscoring the escalating importance of intellectual property in the UAE’s dynamic economy.
Regulatory Framework and Compliance
The Ministry confirmed its direct oversight of “TM Market Place” to ensure stringent compliance with both national and international intellectual property laws. All sales and transactions conducted on the platform will be exclusively limited to national and international trademarks officially registered in the UAE, aligning with Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2021 on Trademarks. The platform incorporates secure verification processes, requiring users to log in, and facilitates financial transactions through integrated digital payment systems.