UAE Surpasses 17,000 Trademark Registrations in H1 2026 Amid Locarno Convention Accession

The United Arab Emirates has registered a total of 17,217 national and international trademarks during the first half of 2026, according to the Ministry of Economy and Tourism. This milestone coincides with the country’s formal accession to the Locarno Agreement, an international treaty administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) that standardizes the classification of industrial designs.

The trademark registrations recorded in the first six months of 2026 represent a significant portion of the approximately 39,113 trademarks registered throughout the entire year of 2025. Alongside trademark growth, the UAE also saw a 35.4% increase in registered intellectual works compared to the same period last year, building on a total of roughly 2,082 registrations in 2025.

Patent applications submitted to the Ministry rose by an estimated 12% in the first half of 2026 relative to the corresponding period in 2025, when 4,353 patent applications were filed. Additionally, applications for utility certificates increased by 7.14% over the same timeframe.

The UAE’s accession to the Locarno Agreement was confirmed during its delegation’s participation in the 68th session of the Assemblies of Member States of WIPO, held at the organization’s headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, from July 7 to 15, 2026.

The delegation was led by Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, and included Dr. Abdulrahman Hassan Al Muaini, Assistant Undersecretary for Intellectual Property at the Ministry.

The Locarno Agreement, concluded in Locarno, Switzerland, on October 8, 1968, provides a unified international classification system for industrial designs, facilitating their registration, search, and comparability among member states.

Minister Al Marri described the UAE’s accession as "a significant milestone in strengthening the country’s industrial design protection system and supporting the development of the national intellectual property framework in accordance with the highest international standards."

He emphasized that joining the Locarno Convention aligns with the UAE’s vision to enhance international cooperation in intellectual property, particularly regarding industrial design protection and classification standardization across IP offices.

Over the past three years, the Ministry of Economy and Tourism has launched more than 60 initiatives to improve the intellectual property, innovation, and creativity environment in the UAE. Among these is the Trademarks Market, the region’s first digital platform dedicated to the sale and trading of trademarks.

These efforts have contributed to the UAE maintaining its top ranking in the Arab world for the sixth consecutive year in the Global Innovation Index, where it advanced to 30th place globally.

Minister Al Marri also highlighted the importance of keeping pace with technological developments, noting that the UAE led global AI adoption rates during the first quarter of 2026.

The Ministry continues to prioritize protecting broadcasting rights and combating digital piracy as part of its broader intellectual property enforcement strategy.

This robust growth in trademark registrations, patent applications, and intellectual works, coupled with the UAE’s accession to the Locarno Agreement, underscores the country’s commitment to aligning its intellectual property system with international best practices and fostering a dynamic innovation ecosystem.