Intro
The UAE has introduced a new official trademark fee schedule and a package of additional services that significantly reshape the economics and mechanics of brand protection in the country. The changes are anchored in Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2021 on Trademarks, implemented through Cabinet Resolution No. 102 of 2025, and framed within the Ministry of Economy and Tourism’s broader IP system developed under the “We the UAE 2031”vision.
At the same time, the Ministry has rolled out the One Day TM Initiative, which allows for examination of a trademark application within one business day, reflecting a clear policy shift toward faster, digital, and highly service-oriented IP administration.
This article summarises the key elements of the reform with a focus on what rights holders and their advisors actually need to know.
Legal & Policy Context
The current reform sits on top of three pillars:
Substantive law: Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2021 on Trademarks, which modernised the substantive framework (scope of protection, opposition, cancellation, licensing, etc.).
Fee and procedural framework: Cabinet Resolution No. 102 of 2025, which updates the Ministry’s official trademark fee schedule and introduces new services.
Strategic policy: The national IP system launched in 2024, including AI-enabled IP services and the One Day TM Initiative, explicitly linked to the “We the UAE 2031” vision of a knowledge and innovation-driven economy.
For brand owners, this means the UAE is not simply cutting costs; it is reshaping the way trademarks are examined, managed, and enforced.
Fee Reductions and Incentives
While the basic official fees remain broadly consistent for many existing services, two important incentive mechanisms have been introduced through Cabinet Resolution No. 102 of 2025:
1. 50% reduction for SMEs
Members of the UAE’s National SME Programme now benefit from a 50% reduction on official trademark service fees. This materially lowers the entry barrier for smaller businesses that previously found UAE filings expensive.
2. Full exemption for People of Determination
Persons with disabilities (People of Determination) receive a full exemption from official fees for trademark filings and related services, in line with the UAE’s inclusion and social policy commitments.
These incentives sit alongside the new services described below and are a central feature of the updated regime, especially for local founders and startups.
Seven New Trademark Services: Scope and Exact Fees
Cabinet Resolution No. 102 of 2025 also approves a set of seven new trademark services, which streamline procedures and give rights holders more procedural options. The services and their official fees, as reflected in the Ministry’s updated schedule and summarised in recent practitioner commentary, are:
1. Registration of a geographical indication (GI)
Official fee: AED 6,500
Impact: This creates a formal pathway to protect products whose quality or reputation is linked to a specific geographical origin (for example, regional food products, artisanal items or locally distinctive goods).
2. One-day trademark examination
Official fee: AED 2,250
Impact: Enables applicants to request an expedited examination, with the Ministry examining the application within one business day under the One Day TM Initiative.
3. Grievance against trademark cancellation
Official fee: AED 5,000
Impact: Provides a defined administrative route to contest a cancellation decision, before resorting to full-scale judicial proceedings.
4. Conversion of a national trademark to an international registration
Official fee: AED 400
Impact: Facilitates the conversion of a UAE national application/registration into an international application under the Madrid System, simplifying outward expansion for UAE-based rights holders.
5. Trademark agent registration renewal (branch of a foreign company)
Official fee: AED 7,500
Impact: Addresses renewal of registration for foreign trademark agents operating through UAE branches, reflecting increasing cross-border professional involvement in the UAE IP system.
6. Grievance against trademark registration refusal
Official fee: AED 5,000
Impact: Allows applicants to challenge a refusal decision via an administrative grievance process within the Ministry before or alongside any judicial challenge.
7. Examination and study of claims
Official fee: AED 2,250
Impact: Provides a formal mechanism to request examination and assessment of specific claims, enhancing transparency and offering a clearer route for dealing with complex or contentious issues (for example, alleged conflicts or infringement-related questions).
From a practical standpoint, these seven services fill procedural gaps that previously required more indirect approaches or immediate court involvement.
The One Day TM Initiative and Digital Transformation
A defining element of the reform is the One Day TM Initiative, an expedited service that allows for examination of a trademark application within one business day when the applicant pays the relevant fast-track fee.
Key points:
Speed: Examination in one business day is a dramatic reduction compared to standard timeframes, which typically span several weeks.
Legal effect: The substantive standards of examination do not change; what changes is the time in which the examination report is issued.
Policy context: The initiative is part of a broader IP system comprising 11 integrated projects (including AI-driven IP services and centralised digital platforms), explicitly framed as serving the “We the UAE 2031” vision and the goal of positioning the UAE among the leading jurisdictions in the Global Innovation Index.
From a rights-holder perspective, the One Day TM Initiative is particularly valuable when:
Launch timing is critical (e.g. major product or brand rollout).
Investors require quick clearance of key marks during due diligence.
There is a strong need to establish priority and certainty in a crowded field.
Strategic Implications for Brand Owners
Taken together, the fee incentives, seven new services, and the One Day TM Initiativematerially change the cost–benefit calculus for protecting brands in the UAE:
SMEs and early-stage brands
Benefit from lower fees and a more inclusive regime, making it realistic to register marks early, not just reactively.
Regional and global players
Gain clearer procedures for grievances, cancellations, and fast-track examination, plus the ability to convert national marks into international registrations under Madrid.
Sectors relying on origin and authenticity
Can now rely on GI registration with a defined official fee (AED 6,500), opening the door to structured protection for Emirati and regional speciality products.
IP-backed financing and transactional work
Are supported by a more granular fee schedule and additional services, which improve portfolio clarity and procedural predictability.
For all categories of users, the system is moving in one direction: faster, more digital, and more procedurally complete, with clear legislative backing.
How Lexonix Can Assist
Lexonix works with founders, SMEs, and international groups to turn these reforms into a concrete strategic advantage:
Trademark availability and risk assessments
Filing strategies optimised for SME discounts and timing needs
Use of the One Day TM route in high-pressure launches or transactions
Structuring GI, licensing, and Madrid-based international expansion strategies
Designing enforcement and grievance pathways aligned with the new services
Our approach is to treat IP not as an administrative afterthought, but as a core business assetintegrated into corporate structuring, financing, and expansion planning.
At the same time, the Ministry has rolled out the One Day TM Initiative, which allows for examination of a trademark application within one business day, reflecting a clear policy shift toward faster, digital, and highly service-oriented IP administration. This article summarises the key elements of the reform with a focus on what rights holders and their advisors actually need to know.