Trademark protection in the UAE and Dubai
A plain-language guide for Indian brands selling in Dubai and the rest of the UAE. Your Indian registration does not protect you there, so file in the UAE before you launch.
One registration for all seven emirates
There is no separate "Dubai trademark". Trademarks are registered nationally with the UAE Ministry of Economy, and one registration protects your brand in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the other emirates, including the free zones.
The UAE gives rights to the first to file. If someone registers your brand first, you may have to fight to get it back. A business that used the mark earlier can apply to cancel a registration made in the last five years. Well-known marks are protected even without registration.
Filing from India
The UAE has been part of the Madrid Protocol since 2021. You can cover the UAE through an international application filed at the Indian Trade Marks Registry, or file directly with the Ministry of Economy.
Ask about a UAE filingKey facts at a glance
| Point | UAE (including Dubai) |
|---|---|
| Law | Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2021 on Trademarks, in force since 2 January 2022 |
| Trademark office | UAE Ministry of Economy, online filing |
| What can be registered | Words, logos, colours, 3D shapes, holograms, sounds and smells; purely functional shapes are excluded |
| Classes | The international Nice Classification; one class per national application |
| Examination | Decision within about 90 days; 30 days to answer an objection |
| Opposition | 30 days from publication |
| Term | 10 years from filing, renewable; 6-month grace period after expiry |
| Non-use | A mark not used for 5 consecutive years can be cancelled on another party's request |
| Appeals | Grievances Committee at the Ministry, then the Federal Court of Appeal |
| Madrid Protocol | Member since 2021 |
Official fees are revised from time to time and are not shown here. We confirm current Ministry and WIPO fees with your quotation.
Two ways to file from India
Through Madrid (via the Indian Registry)
- One international application, based on your Indian application or registration, can cover the UAE, Saudi Arabia and many other countries.
- Several classes in one application, one renewal date, and one record for changes of name or owner.
- For the first five years, the international registration depends on your Indian mark. If the Indian mark falls, so does the UAE protection, unless it is converted into a national filing.
Direct national filing in the UAE
- Independent of your Indian mark.
- A fast-track examination option is available for an extra fee.
- One application for each class.
- Needs a power of attorney, and objections are handled locally.
If you also plan to sell in Saudi Arabia, one Madrid application can now cover both countries. See our Saudi Arabia guide.
If your brand is copied in Dubai or the UAE
Enforcement works fastest when your mark is registered in the UAE. Unregistered rights are generally not accepted for market raids.
Market raids
Each emirate's economic department can raid shops and warehouses, seize fakes and impose fines. In Dubai this is the Department of Economy and Tourism.
Customs recordal
Record your registered mark with customs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah to stop counterfeit imports at the border.
Courts
Civil or criminal proceedings for injunctions, damages and destruction of goods. Onshore courts work in Arabic; the DIFC and ADGM courts work in English.
Penalties for counterfeiting
Fines of AED 100,000 to AED 1,000,000 for counterfeiting and for knowingly importing or exporting fake goods, and AED 50,000 to AED 200,000 for selling or keeping them. Courts can also order imprisonment, closure of the premises and confiscation, and penalties are doubled for repeat offences.
Start the paperwork early
A power of attorney signed in India must be notarised, legalised by the UAE Embassy and attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and documents must be translated into Arabic. This can take one to six months, so begin before you need to act.
How we help
We check your brand name against the UAE register and the points above. We compare the Madrid and direct routes for your case, and prepare the documents. Filing, enforcement and any legal advice are handled by independent professionals authorised to act before the Indian Registry or in the UAE. No search or filing can guarantee registration.