How long does the patent registration process take in the UAE?

The UAE patent process typically takes 12–24 months, depending on examination workload, applicant responses, and whether amendments are required.

How long is a patent valid in the UAE?

A UAE patent is valid for 20 years from the filing date, provided that annual maintenance fees are paid on time.

Do I need to conduct a novelty search before filing a patent application?

A novelty search is not legally mandatory, but it is highly recommended to assess whether the invention meets the UAE’s patentability criteria before filing.

Can I file a patent in the UAE if my invention was already disclosed publicly?

Generally no. Public disclosure before filing destroys novelty, which is a core requirement under the UAE Industrial Property Law. Confidential disclosures do not affect novelty.

Is my UAE patent valid internationally?

No. A UAE patent provides protection only within the UAE. For international coverage, applicants must file separate applications abroad or use the Patent Cooperation Treaty system.

Can a foreign individual or company register a patent in the UAE?

Yes. Residents and non-residents—individuals and companies—may file patent applications through the UAE Ministry of Economy.

Do I need a prototype before applying for a patent in the UAE?

No. A prototype is not required. The invention must be described in sufficient technical detail for a skilled person to reproduce it.

Patent Registration in the UAE | Ministry of Economy Patent Filing

Name: Patent Registration
Brand: EGSH

Patent Registration in the UAE Made Simple

Protect Your Invention Through an Official UAE Patent

EGSH is an authorised government services centre supporting individuals, researchers, startups, and companies with the whole process of patent registration in the UAE through the Ministry of Economy (MOE).

We assist with every stage of the procedure, including preparing documentation, submitting the application via the MoE’s Industrial Property platform, coordinating novelty searches, responding to examination requests, managing amendments, and supporting Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)-related filings where required.

Why EGSH:

End-to-end filing support
Full compliance with the UAE industrial property law
Support for local and international applicants
Transparent government-regulated fees

Most patent submissions are filed within one visit, with examination and registration timelines subject to the Ministry of Economy's processing.

Protect Your Invention Through an Official UAE Patent

Visit EGSH

Visit our authorised centre during working hours—no prior appointment is required. You may also book your visit online at a convenient time.

Prepare Patent Documents

Our consultant assists you in preparing the technical description, claims, abstract, drawings, and required identification documents in accordance with the MoE standards.

Submit the Application

EGSH files your patent application through the MoE’s electronic platform. Government fees are paid directly by the applicant through the official payment systems.

Receive Your Patent Certificate

We monitor examination stages, assist with amendments or responses, and guide you until the MoE issues your patent certificate (subject to approval).

Visit EGSH for VIP Service Without Queues

You can stop by EGSH during working hours without an appointment or book your visit at a time that suits you best.

Address
Art of Living Mall, Al Barsha 2, Dubai

Operating hours
Monday — Saturday: 9:00 am — 5:00 pm
Sunday: Closed

Call +971 4 612 1810 WhatsApp

Technical Description and Claims

A full description of the invention, defining the problem solved, how it works, and the scope of protection you seek (claims), prepared according to the MoE’s patent-drafting standards.

Abstract and Supporting Drawings

A concise abstract summarising the invention, along with labelled technical drawings or diagrams that illustrate the structure, method or process being patented.

Applicant and Inventor Documents

Passport copies, Emirates ID (if applicable), and details of all inventors and applicants. For corporate applicants, a trade licence and authorised-signatory documentation are required.

Priority or PCT Documents (When Applicable)

Certified priority documents for foreign filings, or PCT national-phase entry documents, including the international search report and WO publication.

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VIP Service

Personal assistance and priority processing with no queues.

Affordable Fees

Official government rates with transparent, fixed pricing.

All Services in One Place

Comprehensive range of UAE government services under one roof.

One-Visit Completion

Most procedures are completed in a single visit to the centre.

What Is a Patent in the UAE

A patent in the UAE is an exclusive intellectual property right granted under Federal Law No. 11 of 2021 on the Regulation and Protection of Industrial Property Rights. It protects an invention that provides a novel, inventive, and industrially applicable technical solution. A granted patent gives its owner the legal authority to prevent others from manufacturing, using, importing, or selling the patented invention in the UAE without permission.

Under the Industrial Property Law, a patent may be granted for products, processes, methods of manufacture, or technical improvements. The protection period is 20 years from the filing date, subject to payment of annual maintenance fees. Patent rights are enforceable through civil and administrative channels, and infringement may result in penalties under the law.

Patent protection is administered by the UAE Patent Office at the Ministry of Economy, which oversees filing, examination, grant, publication, and maintenance of patents within the state.

What Is Patent Registration in the UAE

Patent registration in the UAE is the formal procedure through which an invention is submitted to the UAE Patent Office for technical examination and legal protection. Registration is mandatory for an inventor or company seeking enforceable rights within the UAE; without a granted patent, no exclusive commercial or legal protection exists.

The registration process consists of:

Formal filing of the patent application through the Ministry of Economy’s electronic system.
Verification of compliance with statutory requirements, including appropriate disclosure, claims structure, and supporting documents.
Substantive examination, conducted by the Patent Office or authorised international examination bodies, to assess novelty, inventive step and industrial applicability.
Publication, allowing third parties to comment or oppose under legally defined conditions.
Grant, after which a certificate of patent is issued and published.

Only after registration and a grant does an invention receive complete legal protection in the UAE. Pending applications do not confer enforceable exclusive rights but may serve as a basis for priority or defensive disclosure.

Patentability Requirements in the UAE

An invention is patentable in the UAE only if it satisfies all three statutory criteria.

Novelty. The invention must not have been disclosed to the public anywhere in the world—through publication, use, sale, or any other form of prior art—before the filing date or valid priority date. Novelty is assessed globally, not only within the UAE.
Inventive step. The invention must not be evident to a person skilled in the relevant technical field. The Patent Office examines whether the invention represents a real technical advancement or a novel/wholly unique improvement over existing knowledge.
Industrial applicability. The invention must be capable of being made or used in any type of industry, including manufacturing, engineering, chemistry, biotechnology, or digital technologies. Purely theoretical or abstract ideas are not patentable.

Excluded Categories

In line with the Industrial Property Law and international practice, the UAE does not grant patents for specific subject matter, including:

Discoveries, scientific theories, and mathematical methods
Diagnostic, therapeutic and surgical methods for humans and animals
Plants and animals (except microbiological processes)
Schemes, rules or methods for doing business
Software algorithms without a technical effect

Only inventions that satisfy all patentability requirements and are not excluded by law can be granted a patent.

Types of Patent Filings in Dubai

Patent filings in Dubai, processed through the UAE Patent Office at the Ministry of Economy, follow internationally aligned pathways that allow applicants to protect inventions domestically or as part of a global strategy. The available filing routes include:

National UAE Patent Application

A direct application filed through the MoE electronic system. This route establishes protection exclusively within the UAE and is commonly used by local inventors, startups, research institutions and companies entering the UAE market. National applications may claim priority from an earlier foreign filing under the Paris Convention.

Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) National Phase Entry

Applicants who have filed an international PCT application may enter the UAE national phase, designating the UAE as one of the jurisdictions where protection is sought. The UAE applies PCT timeframes (generally 30 or 31 months from the priority date), after which the application proceeds to national examination under UAE patentability standards.

Innovation Patent or Utility Model

For inventions that offer practical technical value but may not meet the full inventive-step threshold required for a patent, the UAE provides protection through utility certificates (often called innovation patents). These filings undergo formal examination and provide protection for a shorter duration, typically suited for incremental improvements or applied technologies.

Divisional Patent Applications

If an earlier application contains multiple inventions, the MoE may require or allow the applicant to divide the filing into separate applications. Divisional filings retain the parent application’s priority date for the disclosed subject matter.

Each filing route interacts differently with priority rights, examination timelines, enforceability and international strategy, making early structuring essential to avoid loss of rights or delays at the UAE Patent Office.

How to Register a Patent in the UAE

Registering a patent in the UAE involves a few procedural stages.

Prepare the patent specification and required materials. Applicants must prepare a complete technical disclosure, including claims, an abstract, drawings (if applicable), and a detailed description enabling a skilled person to reproduce the invention. The filing must meet the formal and substantive standards set by the UAE Patent Office.
Submit the application through the MoE electronic system. The application is filed online, either as a national submission or a PCT national-phase entry. At filing, applicants must upload all documents in the required format and pay the official application fees. The Ministry assigns a filing date and application number.

Formal examination and compliance checks. The MoE verifies compliance with statutory requirements, including applicant identification, priority documents, translation accuracy and completeness of disclosure. Deficiencies must be corrected within prescribed deadlines to avoid abandonment.
Substantive examination. The MoE conducts—or commissions—a detailed examination assessing novelty, inventive step and industrial applicability. The examiner may issue office actions requesting clarifications, amendments or evidence. A timely response is mandatory.
Publication and objection period. Once the application meets examination requirements, it is published in the MoE Official Gazette. Third parties may submit observations or objections under procedures defined by the Industrial Property Law.
Grant and issuance of Patent Certificate. If no valid objections exist and the invention meets all patentability criteria, the Ministry grants the patent and issues an official certificate. The owner must maintain the patent by paying annual maintenance fees.

Documents Required for Ministry of Economy Patent Registration

Patent filings in the UAE require a defined set of technical and legal documents to ensure that the Ministry of Economy can examine the invention in accordance with the Industrial Property Law. Applicants must prepare and submit:

Patent specification package. A complete specification including the title of the invention, abstract, detailed description, claims, and technical drawings where applicable. The description must be reproducible, and claims must clearly define the scope of protection.
Applicant and inventor documentation. Copies of passports or Emirates IDs for individuals, or trade licences and corporate identification for companies. A Power of Attorney is required when filing through an agent; companies may also need to submit authorised signatory documents.
Priority or PCT documentation (if applicable). For applications claiming priority under the Paris Convention, a certified copy of the earlier filing is required. For PCT national-phase entries, the PCT application details, international search reports and relevant forms must be submitted through the MoE system.
Formal supporting certificates and translations. Where documents are not in Arabic, applicants must submit legally compliant Arabic translations. Additional supporting documents may include assignment deeds (if the applicant is not the inventor) or technical evidence requested during examination.

Novelty Search and Examination Process

The UAE Patent Office follows an examination procedure to ensure that every granted patent meets the statutory criteria of novelty, inventive steps and industrial applicability. The process includes:

Preliminary Review and Formality Checks
After filing, the Ministry of Economy verifies that the application meets formal requirements, including completeness of disclosure, proper formatting of claims, submission of priority documents, and accuracy of Arabic translations. Any formal deficiencies must be corrected within the deadlines prescribed by the Industrial Property Law.
Novelty Search
The MoE commissions or conducts an international-standard prior-art search covering patent databases and publicly available technical literature. The search identifies documents that may affect the novelty or inventive step of the claimed invention. The search report is shared with the applicant and forms the basis for substantive examination.

Substantive Examination
A qualified examiner assesses whether the invention satisfies patentability criteria under UAE law. This includes evaluating:

Novelty against global prior art
Inventive step relative to technical knowledge in the field
Industrial applicability as defined by statutory standards
Claim clarity and support within the specification

The examiner may issue office actions requesting clarifications, amendments, or technical explanations. Applicants must respond within the set timeframe to keep the application active.

Publication and Third-Party Input
If the application successfully completes the examination, it is published in the Official Gazette of the Ministry of Economy. During the publication window, third parties may submit observations or objections under Article-based procedures of the Industrial Property Law.

Activity-Specific Obligations After Filing

Once a patent application is filed in the UAE, the applicant must comply with several ongoing obligations established under the UAE industrial property regulations.

Timely Response to Office Actions
Failure to respond to examiner requests, notifications, or deficiency letters within statutory deadlines results in the application being considered withdrawn. This obligation applies throughout the formal and substantive examination.
Maintaining Updated Applicant and Inventor Information
Changes in applicant name, corporate structure, address, or ownership of rights must be recorded with the MoE through formal amendments or assignment filings. Unrecorded changes may affect enforceability and grant procedures.
Annual Maintenance (Annuity) Payments
Even before the grant, the UAE requires annual annuity fees to keep the application pending. Non-payment of annuities within the prescribed period results in a lapse of rights.
Recording Assignments and Licensing Agreements
Assignments, mergers, or licence agreements relating to the invention must be formally recorded at the MoE’s Patent Office to take legal effect against third parties.

Post-Grant Compliance
After the grant, the patent holder must:

Continue paying annuities
Enforce rights consistent with UAE competition and industrial property regulations
Update the MoE if the invention is commercialised, licensed, or transferred

These obligations ensure that the patent remains valid, enforceable, and in good standing throughout its lifecycle.

Government Fees for Patent Registration in the UAE

Patent-related fees in the UAE are regulated by the Ministry of Economy. The fee structure generally includes:

Filing fees. Payable upon submission of a national application or Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) national-phase entry. Fees apply per application and may vary based on the type of filing and the number of claims.
Examination fees. Substantive examination fees are mandatory and must be paid before the MoE initiates the technical review. Additional charges may apply if multiple examination stages or re-evaluations are required.
Publication fees. Before a grant, applications are published in the MoE Official Gazette. A standard publication fee applies to national and PCT-phase entries.
Grant and Certificate Issuance fees. Once the examination is complete, fees are required for a formal grant, issuance of the patent certificate, and recording the patent in the national register.
Annual annuity fees. To maintain an application or an issued patent in force, annual maintenance fees must be paid starting from the first anniversary of the filing date. Failure to pay annuities results in lapse of the application or patent.

Additional charges may apply for recording assignments or licence agreements, requesting certified copies, filing divisional applications, extensions of time, and reinstatement petitions where allowable.

International Protection and PCT Options

Patent protection in the UAE is territorial, which means a national UAE patent safeguards an invention only within the UAE unless the applicant pursues international or foreign filings. The UAE is a contracting state to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), allowing applicants to streamline international protection.

PCT International Application (Filed Abroad or via Home Office)

The PCT pathway enables applicants to file a single international application that reserves their right to seek patent protection in more than 150 jurisdictions. Although the PCT does not grant a global patent, it provides:

A unified filing date recognised across all PCT states
An international search report identifying relevant prior art
Optional preliminary examination to assess patentability prospects
Up to 30 or 31 months (depending on the country) to decide where to pursue national protection.

UAE residents and companies may file a PCT application directly with foreign receiving offices or with the International Bureau, as the UAE Patent Office does not function as a PCT receiving office.

Entering the PCT National Phase in the UAE

Applicants who have filed a PCT application abroad may enter the UAE national phase through the Ministry of Economy by submitting:

The PCT application details
Arabic translations of the full specification and claims
National filing fees

The national-phase application is then examined by the UAE Patent Office under the same procedures applied to ordinary national filings.

Parallel Foreign Filings Under the Paris Convention

Applicants may also use the Paris Convention priority system, allowing a UAE filing to serve as a priority application for foreign patent filings within 12 months. This route is often used when the invention must be protected in specific jurisdictions rather than globally.

Coordination Between the UAE and Foreign Protection Strategies

Foreign applicants pursuing UAE protection, and UAE-based applicants seeking foreign protection, must ensure:

Timely compliance with priority deadlines
Consistency of claim structure across jurisdictions
Early translation planning due to Arabic-language requirements
Alignment with industry commercialisation timelines

International protection strategy depends on market presence, manufacturing locations, and enforcement priorities rather than simply filing in all available jurisdictions.

Department of Dubai Economic Services at EGSH

Explained by

Shaimaa Sayed Qasem

Department of Dubai Economic Services at EGSH

Shaimaa Sayed Qasem is a dedicated service provider at the Department of Dubai Economic Services at EGSH, with seven years of experience delivering business services, supporting clients and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.

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