How to register a trademark in Saudi Arabia: steps, deadlines and documents
To register a trademark in Saudi Arabia, you file online with SAIP and move through eight steps, each with a deadline set by regulation. If you have no domicile in the Kingdom, an agent recorded in SAIP's agent register files for you. This guide follows the file from power of attorney to certificate, deadline by deadline, and compares the national route with the Madrid System.
- SAIP published examination time
- 90 days1
- Opposition window after publication
- 60 days3
- SAIP official fees per class
- SAR 6,5001
In brief
- Trademarks in Saudi Arabia are registered with SAIP (Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property) on its online Unified IP Platform, which has handled every new filing since 19 December 2023.
- An applicant with no domicile in Saudi Arabia must file through an agent recorded in SAIP's agent register, under a power of attorney that is notarised, apostilled or legalised, and translated into Arabic.
- SAIP publishes a 90-day examination time. Once the mark is accepted, the publication fee is due within 30 days, the mark is published for 60 days of possible opposition, and the final invoice is due within 30 days (Implementing Regulations of the GCC Trademark Law).
- Missing almost any of these deadlines has the same result: the application is treated as withdrawn. Official fees remain SAR 6,500 per class (SAR 1,000 + 500 + 5,000, per SAIP's service page checked on 26 October 2026).
- Since 8 October 2026, Saudi Arabia can also be designated through WIPO's Madrid System, with an individual fee of CHF 1,397 per class.
How to register a trademark in Saudi Arabia: the 8 steps
These steps follow SAIP's service page and the Implementing Regulations of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Trademark Law. Timings are published or statutory deadlines; real timing depends on how fast objections are answered.
- 1
Check that the name is free
SAIP offers a free search of registered trademarks. Search the exact name, close variants and its Arabic spelling, in your classes and neighbouring ones. The method is in our trademark search guide.
- Qui
- You
- Durée
- A few hours
- 2
Choose classes and draft the specification
As a rule, one application covers one Nice class. The regulations allow a multi-class application if SAIP agrees, but fees are still charged per class. Describe the goods and services you actually provide: vague wording is the most common reason for conditional acceptance.
- Qui
- You, with the agent
- Durée
- 1 to 2 days
- 3
Sign and certify the power of attorney
Your company's legal representative signs a power of attorney in favour of the agent and has it notarised. It is then apostilled if your country applies the Apostille Convention (in force for Saudi Arabia since 7 December 2022), or legalised through the consulate if not. The regulations also require an Arabic translation.
- Qui
- You
- Durée
- 1 to 2 weeks
- 4
Gather the application documents
A representation of the mark, a recent company registry extract showing the business you carry on, the list of goods and services, and a certified Arabic translation with phonetic transcription of every non-Arabic word. If you claim priority, get the filing certificate from the first office (see the deadlines table).
- Qui
- You
- Durée
- Alongside the power of attorney
- 5
File the application online
The agent, recorded in the agent register, logs in to SAIP's Unified IP Platform through the National Single Sign-On (Nafath) or by email, uploads the power of attorney and completes the form. An examination invoice of SAR 1,000 per class is issued, and the application is only received and examined once it is paid. The filing date starts the protection period.
- Qui
- The licensed agent
- Durée
- 1 day
- 6
Formal and substantive examination
The examiner checks the file, the distinctiveness of the sign and any conflict with an earlier mark. The outcome is acceptance, acceptance subject to amendment (90 days to respond) or refusal. A refusal or condition can be appealed to the Grievance Committee within 60 days.
- Qui
- SAIP
- Durée
- 90 days (published service time)
- 7
Pay for publication and clear the opposition period
After acceptance, the publication fee (SAR 500 per class) is due within 30 days of notification. The mark is then published in SAIP's gazette, and any interested party may file a written opposition within 60 days.
- Qui
- You through the agent, then SAIP
- Durée
- 30 days to pay, then 60 days
- 8
Pay the final invoice and print the certificate
If no opposition is filed, or once it is rejected, the final invoice of SAR 5,000 per class is due within 30 days of issue. The registration certificate is then printed from the platform. Protection lasts 10 years from the filing date.
- Qui
- You through the agent
- Durée
- Within 30 days
Trademark registration deadlines in Saudi Arabia, and what happens if you miss one
The Saudi trademark procedure runs on short deadlines, most of them starting from an electronic notification. This table brings them together from the Implementing Regulations of the GCC Trademark Law and SAIP's service page.
Table 1
| Step | Deadline | Starts from | If you miss it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claim priority from an earlier foreign filing | 6 months | Date of the first filing | Priority lost: only the Saudi filing date counts |
| Submit the priority documents | 3 months | Saudi filing date | Priority claim not accepted |
| SAIP decision on the application | 90 days | Filing date | Service deadline on SAIP's side |
| Respond to a conditional acceptance | 90 days | Notification of the decision | Application treated as withdrawn |
| Appeal a refusal to the Grievance Committee | 60 days | Notification of the refusal | Decision becomes final |
| Challenge the Committee's decision in court | 60 days | Notification of the Committee's decision | Decision becomes final |
| Pay the publication fee | 30 days | Notification of acceptance | Application treated as withdrawn |
| File an opposition (third parties) | 60 days | Publication in the gazette | No further opposition before SAIP |
| Answer an opposition | 60 days | Notification of the opposition (served within 30 days) | Application treated as withdrawn |
| Pay the final invoice | 30 days | Invoice issue date | Application treated as withdrawn |
What documents does a foreign applicant need?
Article 4 of the Implementing Regulations sets out what the file must contain. The agent confirms the final list and file formats at filing.
Power of attorney
- Power of attorney in favour of the agent, signed by the company's legal representative
- Notarisation, then apostille or consular legalisation depending on the country
- Arabic translation of the power of attorney
Applicant
- Name, address and nationality of the owner (individual or company)
- Recent company registry extract showing the business carried on
Trademark
- Representation of the mark (logo or word mark image file)
- Detailed description of the mark
- List of goods and services, class by class
- Certified Arabic translation and phonetic transcription of every non-Arabic word
Priority (optional)
- Number, date and country of the first filing, stated in the application
- Filing certificate from the first office, with its Arabic translation
File directly with SAIP or go through Madrid?
The Madrid Protocol has applied to Saudi Arabia since 8 October 2026. A company that already owns a mark at home can designate the Kingdom in an international application, or add it to an existing international registration by subsequent designation, through its office of origin or WIPO.
Table 2
| Criterion | Direct filing with SAIP | Designation through Madrid |
|---|---|---|
| Prerequisite | None | A basic mark filed or registered in your home country |
| Who files | An agent recorded in SAIP's agent register | You or your adviser, through your office of origin or WIPO |
| Official fees for Saudi Arabia | SAR 6,500 per class, paid in three instalments | Individual fee of CHF 1,397 per class, plus WIPO's basic fee |
| Examination time | 90-day published service time | SAIP has 18 months to notify a provisional refusal |
| Arabic version of the mark | Filed as a separate mark if needed | The international registration mirrors the basic mark, so an Arabic version needs a separate filing |
| Best suited to | A first mark abroad, or a specification drafted for the Saudi market | An existing international portfolio, or several countries in one application |
How long does trademark registration take in practice?
A file with no objection and no opposition usually takes 4 to 6 months from filing to certificate, according to practitioners. That figure adds up examination, the publication payment window, the 60-day publication and the final payment. It does not bind SAIP.
A conditional acceptance adds up to 90 days. An opposition can stretch the process to a year or more, because it opens a written exchange and sometimes a hearing. Allow 1 to 2 weeks before filing for the power of attorney too: it, rather than SAIP, is what usually delays the start.
Speed matters less than it seems, because protection runs from the filing date. Filing early matters more than moving fast afterwards. Timelines and protection periods are covered in our registration timeline guide.
Mistakes that sink a trademark application
After the certificate: renewal, use and recordals
The mark is protected for 10 years from the filing date, and renewal is requested during the final year of protection. A 6-month grace period exists, at a higher fee. Details are in our renewal and opposition guide.
A registered mark also has to be used. The law lets any interested party ask the court to cancel a mark that has not been genuinely used for 5 consecutive years, unless the owner shows the non-use was beyond their control.
Licences to a franchisee or distributor, assignments and changes of the owner's name or address are recorded with SAIP too, each with its own fee. Amounts are on our trademark registration cost page.
Frequently asked questions
How does a foreign company register a trademark in Saudi Arabia?
Through an agent recorded in SAIP's agent register, unless the company has a domicile in the Kingdom. You sign a power of attorney that is notarised, apostilled or legalised and translated into Arabic, and the agent files online on SAIP's Unified IP Platform. Since 8 October 2026 you can also use the Madrid System if you already own a mark at home.
Can you register a trademark online in Saudi Arabia?
Yes. The whole procedure runs on SAIP's Unified IP Platform, used for trademark filings since 19 December 2023, with login through the National Single Sign-On or by email. Invoices, notifications and the certificate all go through the platform.
How long does it take to register a trademark in Saudi Arabia?
SAIP publishes 90 days for examination, followed by 60 days of publication and two 30-day payment windows. In practice a clean file is registered in 4 to 6 months. An opposition can push it to a year or more.
Does the power of attorney need an apostille?
It must be certified: with an apostille if your country is party to the Apostille Convention, in force for Saudi Arabia since 7 December 2022, or by consular legalisation otherwise. The regulations also require an Arabic translation. This is usually the longest step on the applicant's side, about 1 to 2 weeks.
Can I claim priority from a trademark filed in another country?
Yes, if you file in Saudi Arabia within 6 months of the first filing. State the number, date and country of the first filing in the application, then submit the filing certificate with an Arabic translation within 3 months. The Saudi mark then takes the date of the first filing.
What if SAIP refuses the mark or asks for changes?
After a conditional acceptance you have 90 days to amend the specification or the mark. After a refusal you can appeal to the Grievance Committee within 60 days, then to the competent court within 60 days of its decision. If you do nothing within these deadlines, the decision becomes final.
When is the trademark registration certificate issued?
After the 60-day opposition period, once the final invoice of SAR 5,000 per class has been paid within 30 days of issue. The certificate is then printed from SAIP's platform, and protection runs from the filing date, not the certificate date.
Notes and sources
- 1.SAIP: Trademark Registration service (steps, fees, 90-day service time), checked 26/10/2026
- 2.SAIP: Arabic service page (certified or apostilled power of attorney), checked 26/10/2026
- 3.SAIP: GCC Trademark Law, Implementing Regulations and fee schedule (PDF)
- 4.SAIP: directory of licensed IP agents
- 5.WIPO: Information Notice No. 35/2026, Saudi Arabia's accession to the Madrid Protocol
- 6.WIPO: Information Notice No. 37/2026, Saudi Arabia's individual fee (CHF 1,397 per class)
- 7.HCCH: Apostille Convention status table
Information verified in October 2026. Amounts and timelines are observed ranges provided for information only. Government fees are set by Saudi authorities and may change: they are confirmed in writing in the quote before you commit to anything.
See also
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