Trademark registration in Saudi Arabia: a practical guide to filing with SAIP
Trademarks in Saudi Arabia are registered online with SAIP, the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property. If you are not domiciled in the Kingdom, an agent recorded with SAIP files on your behalf. This guide covers the process, which classes to pick, the Arabic version question, the official fees and realistic timelines.
- Official fees per class
- SAR 6,5001
- Publication and opposition
- 60 days1
- Term of protection
- 10 years, renewable3
In brief
- Trademarks in Saudi Arabia are registered with SAIP (Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property) through its unified online platform, under the GCC Trademark Law.
- An applicant with no domicile in Saudi Arabia must file through a trademark agent recorded in SAIP's agents register, using a legalised or apostilled power of attorney.
- Official SAIP fees are SAR 1,000 for the application, SAR 500 for publication and SAR 5,000 for registration and the certificate: SAR 6,500 per mark per class (SAIP schedule checked in September 2026).
- Once accepted, the mark is published for 60 days, during which third parties can oppose it; if nobody does, the final invoice is due within 30 days. A clean application typically takes 4 to 6 months.
- Protection lasts 10 years from the filing date and can be renewed indefinitely. Since 8 October 2026, Saudi Arabia can also be designated through WIPO's Madrid System.
Who can register a trademark in Saudi Arabia?
Any individual or company, Saudi or foreign, can apply. You do not need a Saudi entity first: a business based in the UK, the EU, India or elsewhere can protect its name before entering the market, and that is usually the right order.
The rule that matters for foreign applicants: under the Implementing Regulations of the GCC Trademark Law, the application is filed by the applicant if they have a domicile in the country, otherwise by an agent domiciled there and recorded in the trademark agents register. SAIP publishes its directory of licensed agents. You sign a power of attorney, legalised or apostilled, which the agent records on the platform.
Tasis Partners is not a trademark agent or a law firm. We run the file end to end with a SAIP-licensed agent partner who makes the filing: you deal with one point of contact, and the filing itself is done by an authorised professional.
How to register a trademark with SAIP, step by step
Timings below are those published by SAIP or set by law. Actual timing depends on how quickly each party responds and on any objections.
- 1
Clearance search
SAIP offers a free search of its registered trademark databases. We extend it to phonetic variants and Arabic spellings of the name, which is where most conflicts sit. See trademark search.
- Qui
- Tasis and the agent
- Durée
- 1 to 3 days
- 2
Class selection and specification
We identify the Nice classes that match what you sell now and what you plan to sell over the next three years, then draft the list of goods and services. Too broad invites objections; too narrow leaves gaps.
- Qui
- Tasis, approved by you
- Durée
- 1 to 2 days
- 3
Power of attorney and documents
Sign the power of attorney in favour of the agent and have it legalised or apostilled. Gather the mark representation, proof of the applicant company and, if you filed elsewhere in the last 6 months, the priority document.
- Qui
- You, with our help
- Durée
- 1 to 2 weeks
- 4
Online filing and examination fee
The agent files on SAIP's unified platform. An examination invoice of SAR 1,000 per class is issued; the application is only examined once it is paid.
- Qui
- The licensed agent
- Durée
- 1 day
- 5
Formal and substantive examination
SAIP checks the filing and whether the mark is distinctive and available. Three outcomes: acceptance, acceptance subject to amendment (90 days to comply, or the application is treated as abandoned), or refusal.
- Qui
- SAIP
- Durée
- Published service time: 90 days
- 6
Publication and opposition period
After the publication fee (SAR 500 per class) is paid, the mark appears in the IP Gazette. Any interested party may file a written opposition within 60 days.
- Qui
- SAIP
- Durée
- 60 days
- 7
Final payment and certificate
If there is no opposition, the final invoice (SAR 5,000 per class) must be paid within 30 days of issue. The registration certificate is then printed from the platform. Protection runs from the filing date.
- Qui
- You, through the agent
- Durée
- Within 30 days
Nice classes: which ones does your trademark need?
Saudi Arabia uses the international Nice Classification: 45 classes, 34 for goods and 11 for services. Each class is paid separately. These are the classes foreign SMEs use most.
Table 1
| Class | What it covers | Typical users |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Cosmetics, fragrances, personal care | Beauty and fragrance brands |
| 5 | Pharmaceuticals, food supplements | Health, nutrition, pharmacy products |
| 9 | Downloadable software, apps, electronic devices | Software publishers, mobile apps, electronics |
| 25 | Clothing, footwear, headwear | Fashion, apparel, sportswear |
| 29 / 30 | Processed foods / coffee, tea, bakery, confectionery | Food brands, coffee roasters, bakeries |
| 35 | Advertising, business management, retail and online retail | Most consumer brands, e-commerce, franchising |
| 37 | Construction, installation, maintenance | Contractors, technical services, facility management |
| 41 | Education, training, events, entertainment | Schools, training providers, event agencies |
| 42 | IT services, SaaS, engineering, design | Software as a service, engineering firms, design studios |
| 43 | Restaurants, hotels, catering | Restaurants, cafés, food franchises |
| 44 | Medical, aesthetic and wellness services | Clinics, beauty salons, spas |
Should you register an Arabic version of your trademark?
It is not mandatory, but it is often wise. Where a mark contains words in a language other than Arabic, SAIP in practice asks for their Arabic translation and phonetic transliteration. That transliteration describes your Latin mark; it does not protect an Arabic-script version you might use on shop signs, packaging or social media.
In the Saudi market, customers, distributors and counterfeiters all use names in Arabic. If you plan to display one, file it as a separate trademark: a second application, with its own fees per class. We have the Arabic spelling checked by a translator so the rendering is accurate and carries no unwanted meaning.
How long does trademark registration take, and what does it cost?
Official SAIP fees per mark per class and published timings. For the full picture, including agent fees, see trademark registration costs.
Table 2
| Stage | Official fee | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Application (examination) | SAR 1,000 | Published service time: 90 days |
| Amendment, if accepted with conditions | Depends on the amendment | Up to 90 days |
| Publication | SAR 500 | 60-day opposition window |
| Registration and certificate | SAR 5,000 | Payable within 30 days |
| Total, no complications | SAR 6,500 | 4 to 6 months in practice |
How long does protection last, and how does renewal work?
Registration protects the mark for 10 years from the filing date. According to INPI and local practitioners, that period is counted in Hijri years, roughly 9 years and 8 months in the Gregorian calendar, so the deadline arrives earlier than most owners expect.
Renewal is filed during the last year of protection (SAR 5,500 per class, plus SAR 1,000 for publication). A 6-month grace period after expiry is available at SAR 6,500. After that, the mark is removed from the register and the name is free for others to take.
We log the expiry date of every mark we handle and contact you well before the renewal window opens. More on protection periods and renewal and opposition.
What happens if your mark is opposed or refused?
Opposition: during the 60-day publication period, anyone who believes the mark harms their rights may oppose it in writing (SAR 2,000 official fee for the opponent). SAIP sends you the opposition within 30 days, and you have 60 days to reply in writing. If you do not reply, the application is treated as abandoned.
Refusal or conditional acceptance: you can narrow the specification, amend the mark or appeal the decision (SAR 1,000 official fee), then go to the competent court within the time limits set by law if needed. Most refusals come from marks that are too descriptive or too close to an existing one, which a proper clearance search usually catches.
In these cases the licensed agent, and a local lawyer where needed, drafts the responses. We coordinate and explain the options and their cost before you decide anything.
New in 2026: Saudi Arabia joins the Madrid System
Documents to prepare for your trademark application
The agent confirms the exact list at filing.
Applicant
- Name, address and nationality of the owner (person or company)
- For a company: recent certificate of incorporation or registry extract
- Power of attorney in favour of the agent, legalised or apostilled
Mark
- Representation of the mark (image file of the logo or word)
- Arabic translation and transliteration of non-Arabic elements
- List of goods and services per class
- Priority document, if a first filing was made in the last 6 months
Frequently asked questions
How much does trademark registration cost in Saudi Arabia?
Official SAIP fees are SAR 6,500 per mark per class: SAR 1,000 for the application, SAR 500 for publication and SAR 5,000 for registration. Agent fees come on top, plus translation and apostille of the power of attorney where needed. The full breakdown is on our trademark cost page.
How long does it take to register a trademark in Saudi Arabia?
SAIP publishes a 90-day service time for examination, followed by 60 days of publication and up to 30 days to pay the final invoice. In practice, a clean application with no objection or opposition takes 4 to 6 months; an opposition can push it past a year.
Can a foreigner file a trademark with SAIP directly?
Not unless they are domiciled in Saudi Arabia. The Implementing Regulations require non-domiciled applicants to file through a trademark agent domiciled in the Kingdom and recorded in SAIP's agents register. SAIP publishes its list of licensed agents on saip.gov.sa.
Do I need a Saudi company to register a trademark?
No. Your existing company abroad can own the Saudi trademark. Filing before you set up locally is sensible, as it stops someone else registering your name first. When you are ready to set up, see company formation.
What is the difference between a trademark and a trade name?
The trade name is reserved in the commercial register with the Ministry of Commerce and identifies the company. The trademark, registered with SAIP, protects the sign that distinguishes your goods or services in specific classes. A company with a trade name but no trademark has no protection against copies of its brand or products.
Does my international (WIPO) trademark cover Saudi Arabia?
Only if Saudi Arabia is designated. The Madrid Protocol has been in force for Saudi Arabia since 8 October 2026, so you can add it to an existing international registration through a subsequent designation. Before that date, a national filing with SAIP was the only route.
How long is a Saudi trademark protected, and when do I renew?
Protection lasts 10 years from filing, counted in Hijri years according to practitioners (about 9 years and 8 months). Renew during the final year (SAR 5,500 per class plus SAR 1,000 publication), or within the 6-month grace period at SAR 6,500.
Notes and sources
- 1.SAIP: Trademark Registration service (fees, steps, timing)
- 2.SAIP: Trademark renewal service
- 3.SAIP: GCC Trademark Law, Implementing Regulations and fee schedule (PDF)
- 4.SAIP: free search of registered trademarks
- 5.SAIP: directory of licensed IP agents
- 6.WIPO: Information Notice No. 35/2026, accession of Saudi Arabia to the Madrid Protocol
- 7.WIPO: Saudi Arabia joins the Madrid System
Information verified in September 2026. Amounts and timelines are observed ranges provided for information only. Government fees are set by Saudi authorities and may change: we confirm them in writing before you commit to anything.
See also
Protect your brand in Saudi Arabia before you start selling
In a free 30-minute call we check whether your name is available, map the classes you need and the Arabic version question, then send a written proposal. SAIP fees are passed on at cost, and the filing is made by a licensed agent partner.
- Free 30-minute first call
- Reply within one business day
- No commitment