UAE Introduces Significant Fee Exemptions for Intellectual Property Protection
Abu Dhabi, UAE – The United Arab Emirates has enacted a new Cabinet resolution introducing substantial fee waivers for intellectual property (IP) services, specifically benefiting student inventors and People of Determination. The move aims to enhance accessibility to the national IP ecosystem and foster innovation across the country.
Under the new regulatory framework, both student inventors and People of Determination are now exempt from fees for eleven distinct IP services. These services, which previously incurred costs ranging from AED 100 to AED 1,000, include critical stages of IP protection such as applications for patent and industrial design registration, applications for integrated circuit layouts and utility certificates, first substantive examinations, re-examinations for utility certificates, and publication of registration. Additionally, annual industrial property protection fees for the second, third, fourth, and fifth years are also waived for these categories.
Further expanding the scope of support, People of Determination qualify for exemptions on nine additional services, which previously carried fees between AED 1,000 and AED 9,000. Similarly, student inventors benefit from exemptions on another nine services, with prior costs ranging from AED 500 to AED 4,500.
Authorities stated that these reforms are designed to simplify the process for eligible applicants to safeguard their research and inventions, facilitating their development into commercially valuable industrial property assets. This initiative underscores the nation’s commitment to nurturing a vibrant environment for creativity and innovation.
Officials highlighted that the resolution reinforces the UAE’s strategic vision of promoting innovation by empowering student inventors and People of Determination. This enables them to register their innovations with greater ease and secure their rights, thereby increasing their engagement within the national intellectual property framework and contributing to the UAE’s standing as a global centre for creativity and the new economy.
In parallel with these fee exemptions, efforts are underway to enhance digital services for patents, industrial designs, and utility certificates. These improvements are intended to streamline registration procedures, making them faster and more efficient for all applicants. The measures are part of a broader strategy to fortify the UAE’s intellectual property framework, encompassing legislative developments concerning industrial property rights and strengthened international cooperation, including agreements like the Locarno Agreement on industrial design classification.
These significant regulatory adjustments come amidst a period of notable growth in IP protection applications within the UAE. Statistics indicate a 9 per cent increase in patent applications during the first half of 2026 compared to the same period in the previous year, with approximately 4,361 patent applications recorded in 2025. Applications for utility certificates also saw a substantial rise of 21.43 per cent during the first six months of 2026 compared to the corresponding period in 2025. The total number of registered applications for patents, utility certificates, and industrial designs in the UAE has now reached 22,184, reflecting a robust and expanding innovation landscape. The new fee waivers are expected to further stimulate this growth, encouraging more individuals to formally protect their intellectual creations.