- Offices in Riyadh, Dubai and London
GCC Trademark Registration, Country by Country
There is no single GCC trademark, so we help you choose which Gulf countries to file in, and in what order, from where you make, sell and plan to sell. GCC trademark registration means filing your trademark in each of the six GCC countries you choose. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait apply a shared GCC Trademark Law and the UAE applies its own federal law, but there is no single GCC trademark.
Separate Registries
Is there one trademark for the whole GCC?
No. The GCC Trademark Law harmonizes many rules, but there is no GCC-wide trademark, no regional trademark office and no single filing. Each GCC state has its own registry, so you register country by country in the markets you choose, either directly or, for five of the six states, through the Madrid System.
- Shared: the GCC Trademark Law, adopted by the GCC Supreme Council in December 2012, sets common rules such as the 60-day opposition window and the 10-year term.
- Separate: every state keeps its own office and register. The five that use the GCC law apply it through national laws; the UAE has its own law, Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2021 on Trademarks.
- For you: a registration protects your brand only in the country that grants it.
GCC trademark registration compared: the six countries side by side
| Country | Registry | Classes per application | Opposition window | Government fee per class | In Madrid since | Power of attorney | Typical timeline (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAE ↗ | Ministry of Economy and Tourism (MoET) | Several, each class charged | 30 days | AED 6,500 | 28 Dec 2021 | Notarized, legalized, Arabic translation | Around 4 to 6 months unopposed |
| Saudi Arabia ↗ | Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP) | One | 60 days | SAR 6,500 | 8 Oct 2026 | Notarized, legalized or apostilled, Arabic translation | Several months |
| Qatar ↗ | Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) | One | 60 days | QAR 4,500 | 3 Aug 2024 | Full consular legalization, Arabic translation | Around 12 to 14 months |
| Oman ↗ | National IP Office, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion | One | 60 days | OMR 170–200 Estimated, plus newspaper publication | 16 Oct 2007 | Apostille or legalization | Several months |
| Bahrain ↗ | Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MOIC) | One | 60 days | BHD 650 Estimated | 15 Dec 2005 | Apostille or legalization | Often 6 to 12 months |
| Kuwait ↗ | Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) | One | 60 days | KWD 310 | Not a member | Full consular legalization, Arabic translation | Several months |
- Outside the UAE, each class is a separate application, so classes drive the cost.
- Kuwait is outside Madrid and always needs a direct filing.
- Protection lasts 10 years from the filing date everywhere, renewable.
Not sure which countries you need?
Tell us where you make, sell and plan to sell. We recommend countries, classes and a route.
Which GCC countries should you register in first?
Start with the countries where your brand is already exposed: where you sell, where your goods are made or stored, and where you are about to sign a distributor, franchisee or lease. Then add expansion markets in the order you plan to enter them. Most businesses do not need all six GCC countries on day one.
Start with where your brand is already exposed
| Your situation | What we recommend | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You already sell there: shops, a distributor, deliveries or marketplaces | File now | Protection runs from the filing date |
| You are about to sign a distributor, franchisee or lease | File before you sign | The agreement then covers a mark on record in your name |
| Your goods are made, packed or stored there | Consider it for the first tier | Protect where goods are made as well as sold |
| You plan to enter in the next few years | Expansion tier, timed to your launch | Madrid countries can be added to an international registration later |
| Kuwait is on your list | A direct filing, with the power of attorney started early | Kuwait is outside Madrid and needs full consular legalization |
| You need many classes | Core classes first | Outside the UAE, each class is a separate application |
| Your UAE application could still be opposed or narrowed | Direct national filings for now | A Madrid registration depends on the home mark for 5 years |
Build the plan in three tiers
- Initial need: your launch market, where goods are made or sourced, and where you already sell.
- Expansion: the countries you plan to enter, each timed to its launch.
- Long term: markets you may enter later, reviewed as plans firm up.
To place each country, the consultation asks what you sell, where it is made and sold, which markets are current or planned, and whether you sell through shops, a website, distributors or franchisees. For software, we ask whether it is downloaded or used online.
- Example
A UAE coffee brand expanding to Saudi Arabia and Qatar
An illustration, not a client case. The brand is registered in the UAE in two classes, coffee shop services and packaged coffee. It plans a franchise in Riyadh next year and a Doha opening after that.
Government fees only, as of October 2026, from each registry’s fee per class. Professional fees, translations, legalization and any objections or oppositions are extra.
Initial tier, Saudi Arabia:
filed before the franchise agreement is signed. Two applications, SAR 13,000 in government fees.
Initial tier, Qatar
filed now despite the later opening, because unopposed filings take an estimated 12 to 14 months and the power of attorney needs full legalization. Two applications, QAR 9,000.
Expansion tier, Kuwait
a direct filing later, since Kuwait is outside Madrid. Two applications, KWD 620.
Route
Saudi Arabia and Qatar could instead be designated from the UAE registration under Madrid; we compare both.
- Madrid System
Can you use the Madrid System for GCC countries?
Yes, for five of the six. Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are Madrid members, so a UAE business can designate the other four through MoET, using its UAE mark as the base. Kuwait is not a member and always needs a direct filing. Madrid is not automatically cheaper, because most GCC states charge high per-class designation fees.
At the time of writing, the WIPO basic fee starts at CHF 653, plus a fee per class for each country: CHF 417 for Oman, CHF 984 for Qatar, CHF 1,321 for Bahrain and CHF 1,397 for Saudi Arabia. Each office examines under its own law and can refuse within 18 months, and Oman, Qatar and Bahrain require a local representative to answer refusals or oppositions.
Coverage
- Direct national filings
All six
- Madrid designations
Five of six; Kuwait excluded
Home mark
- Direct national filings
Not needed
- Madrid designations
Required; for 5 years, a cancelled or narrowed home mark affects every country
Often suits
- Direct national filings
Kuwait, a home mark still at risk, or country-specific specifications
- Madrid designations
Several Madrid countries from one stable home mark
How much does GCC trademark registration cost?
It depends on how many countries and classes you choose. Every GCC registry charges government fees per class, and outside the UAE each class is a separate application. As of October 2026, government fees per class are AED 6,500 in the UAE, SAR 6,500 in Saudi Arabia, QAR 4,500 in Qatar and KWD 310 in Kuwait. Oman and Bahrain are estimated below.
AS OF OCTOBER 2026
Government fees are set by each registry, charged per class, and can change; your quote confirms current figures. Our fees are shown in AED and are estimates until your quote confirms the exact fee and what it covers. Budget later for renewals every 10 years and any oppositions. The coffee brand example above shows a worked total.
Documents and Arabic requirements across the GCC
- A power of attorney for foreign applicants. Bahrain, Oman and Saudi Arabia are in the Apostille Convention; Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE need consular legalization.
- Arabic translations, plus a transliteration or pronunciation for non-Arabic marks.
- A company extract or certificate of incorporation, where the registry asks for it.
- Priority documents, if you claim a first filing made in the last 6 months.
- In Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain, applicants based abroad file through a trademark agent registered in that country.
We tell you what each country needs before you sign anything.
- Directory
The six GCC countries at a glance
Forming a company in the Gulf as well? See setting up a company in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman or Qatar.
MoET registers trademarks under the UAE's own federal law. One application can cover several classes, each charged AED 6,500, and the opposition window is 30 days. Read about UAE trademark registration with MoET.
SAIP takes one class per application at SAR 6,500, and Saudi Arabia has been in the Madrid System since 8 October 2026. See trademark registration in Saudi Arabia (KSA).
Qatar has applied the GCC Trademark Law since 10 August 2023, at QAR 4,500 per class, and has been in Madrid since 3 August 2024. Read about registering a trademark in Qatar.
Oman publishes accepted marks in the Official Gazette and a daily newspaper. A Madrid member since 2007, it currently has the lowest GCC designation fee, CHF 417 per class. More on trademark registration in Oman.
Bahrain was the first GCC state in Madrid, in 2005, and accepts an apostille. Madrid designations must name specific goods, because general terms such as "clothing" are not accepted. See Bahrain trademark registration.
Kuwait takes applications online at KWD 310 per class. It is outside Madrid, and the power of attorney needs full legalization. Read about registering in Kuwait directly.
Trademark registration in the Middle East beyond the GCC
Middle East markets outside the six GCC states have their own national systems, and some can be reached through Madrid. Our guide to international trademark registration explains the routes beyond the Gulf.
After registration: renewals and protection across the GCC
Every GCC registration lasts 10 years from the filing date. You renew in the last year, with a 6-month grace period at a surcharge, and we track the date for each country in your plan.
- In Saudi Arabia the term is commonly counted in Hijri years, which can bring the renewal date slightly forward.
- Under the GCC and UAE laws, a mark unused for 5 consecutive years can be cancelled. In Oman, a registration not used for a continuous period of several years can be challenged.
- If an application is opposed or refused, we handle the response; each authority decides.
- In the UAE, a registered mark can be recorded with customs so officers can flag suspected counterfeit shipments.
What has changed in GCC trademark registration recently
- 8 October 2026: Saudi Arabia’s Madrid membership takes effect; five of the six GCC states are now members.
- Mid-November 2025: a new UAE trademark fee schedule takes effect under Cabinet Resolution No. 102 of 2025.
- 20 June 2025: the UAE registry becomes the Ministry of Economy and Tourism (MoET), renamed from the Ministry of Economy.
- 3 August 2024: Qatar’s Madrid membership takes effect.
- 10 August 2023: Qatar starts applying the GCC Trademark Law, replacing the trademark parts of Law No. 9 of 2002.
- Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is there a GCC trademark office?
Do I need to register my trademark in all six GCC countries?
Does a UAE trademark protect my brand in Saudi Arabia or the rest of the GCC?
Which GCC countries are in the Madrid Protocol?
Can one application cover several classes in GCC countries?
How long does trademark registration take in GCC countries?
Do I need a local agent in each GCC country?
What is the GCC Trademark Law?
How do I search for conflicting trademarks across the GCC?
Is my EU, US or UK trademark valid in the GCC?
Plan your GCC filings with one team
We recommend countries, order, classes and route, and quote government fees and our fees separately. Part of Gatestone’s intellectual property services.
- Testimonials
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