Saudi Arabia joins the Madrid Protocol

On 8 October 2026, Saudia Arabia will officially join WIPO’s Madrid System, becoming the fifth of the Gulf Cooperation Council states to do so, after Bahrain, Oman, UAE and Qatar.

Until now, to protect their marks in Saudi Arabia trade mark holders could only file a direct national application with the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP).

From October 2026, trade mark holders will be able to designate Saudi Arabia as part of an International Registration (IR). As for trade mark holders with an existing IR, they will be able to add Saudi Arabia to their IR using the subsequent designation mechanism.

The accession of Saudi Arabia to the Madrid System is expected to reduce - although not remove entirely - some of the administrative formalities and costs in place (e.g. certified translations, notarised and legalised powers of attorney). Individual fees will apply for designating and renewing Saudi Arabia, with amounts not yet published at the time of writing.[1]

This reduction of costs and formalities will come as a much-welcomed change for businesses looking to expand in the Middle East, as Saudi Arabia has been until now one of the most expensive territories in terms of trade mark prosecution.

If you are expanding into the wider Middle East region, now is a good time to review your international trademark strategy and consider adding Saudi Arabia to your portfolio through the Madrid system.

At Hindles, we can help you assess your international portfolio and plan your approach in the most cost-effective way, just contact us here.

Author: Alix de La Motte-Broöns