Arabic Language Trade Marks: What To Select And What To Protect?

Article by Joycia Young and Saba Al Sultani

Over the last century, the Middle East has seen much change – largely resulting from the discovery of oil, which in turn fuelled the rapid development of property-based economies. The Arabian Gulf region, in particular, has experienced an unprecedented economic boom which has seen a large number of investment opportunities materialise and exploited with great success. As the initial focus of the developing economies was on the in-licensing of foreign brands, those brand owners have sought to protect their intellectual property rights within those markets. It is a well-known fact that the costs of securing trade mark registration across the Middle East are amongst the highest in the world. In assessing where best to focus their resources, brand owners need to establish which markets are key to their business' strategy and protect those rights adequately.