UAE Implements New Fee Exemptions for Industrial Property Rights
Dubai, UAE – The United Arab Emirates has commenced the implementation of Cabinet Resolution No. 136 of 2026, a significant legislative development aimed at fostering innovation by exempting student inventors and People of Determination from various industrial property service fees. The Ministry of Economy and Tourism (MOET) has confirmed the activation of this resolution, underscoring the nation’s commitment to strengthening its intellectual property (IP) ecosystem.
This strategic move seeks to cultivate a supportive environment for innovators and talent, streamlining access to IP protection services, safeguarding intellectual output, and facilitating the registration and protection of industrial property rights across the UAE.
A representative from the Ministry’s Intellectual Property Sector highlighted the UAE’s proactive stance in developing a robust legislative and regulatory framework for industrial property rights, encompassing patents and industrial designs. This framework aligns with international best practices and standards, evidenced by the Federal Law on the Regulation and Protection of Industrial Property Rights and the UAE’s accession to international agreements such as the Locarno Agreement for industrial designs. These efforts are designed to establish an attractive national environment for inventors, entrepreneurs, and businesses.
The Cabinet resolution is seen as a tangible expression of the UAE’s vision to champion creativity and innovation. By alleviating the financial burden of IP registration and protection for student inventors and People of Determination, the government aims to enhance their participation in the national IP landscape, ensuring they can readily access and benefit from available services and enablers. This initiative is expected to further solidify the UAE’s standing as a global hub for innovation and the new economy.
The Ministry continues to advance the digital infrastructure supporting its IP services, including those for patents, industrial designs, and utility certificates. This digital transformation is anticipated to boost service efficiency, accelerate registration and protection procedures, and offer a more fluid experience for inventors and business owners, in harmony with the objectives of the ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision.
The resolution, effective from 14th September, 2026, introduces comprehensive fee exemptions for 29 distinct services. Of these, 11 services specifically benefit both student inventors and People of Determination, covering critical processes such as patent registration applications, industrial design registration, integrated circuit layouts, utility certificates, initial and re-examinations of utility certificates, publication of registration, and the annual fees for the second through fifth years of industrial property protection. The original costs for these services typically ranged from Dhs100 to Dhs1,000.
Furthermore, the resolution extends exemptions for nine additional services exclusively for People of Determination, which previously incurred fees between Dhs1,000 and Dhs9,000. Similarly, student inventors receive exemptions for nine other services, with prior fees ranging from Dhs500 to Dhs4,500. These exemptions are poised to significantly reduce the cost barrier to protecting innovations, thereby encouraging greater registration of research outputs and their transformation into industrial property assets with potential for further development and investment.
Reflecting a growing interest in intellectual property protection, MOET reported a 9 percent increase in patent applications during the first half of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025. In 2025, the total number of patent applications reached approximately 4,361. Utility certificate applications also witnessed substantial growth, increasing by 21.43 percent in the first half of 2026 relative to the corresponding period in 2025. Cumulatively, the UAE has registered 22,184 applications for patents, utility certificates, and industrial designs to date, signalling a robust and expanding commitment to intellectual property rights among innovators and corporations.