Global Trademark GO - Saudi Arabia - Introduction to Trademark Application in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is a member of the Paris Convention, and its trademark classification follows the International Classification of Goods and Services for Trademark Registration under the Nice Agreement. Trademarks involving alcoholic goods cannot be registered, and the corresponding retail and wholesale services cannot be registered either. Applications for one trademark and multiple categories are not accepted. Saudi Arabia is also one of the countries with the highest trademark registration fees in the world. According to statistics, a total of 24,449 trademarks were registered in Saudi Arabia in 2022, most of which were related to food, beverages and temporary accommodation services. In Saudi Arabia, any distinctive form of name, text, signature, letters, symbols, numbers, addresses, seals, drawings, pictures, engravings, packaging, graphic elements, shapes, colors, combinations of colors or combinations thereof, or any mark or group of logo, you can apply for a trademark.

1. Trademark authority

• Saudi Arabia Trademark Office, English: Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property, abbreviation: SPO
• Website: العلامات التجارية (saip.gov.sa)
• Trademark Search: Unified Commercial Single Sign-On (mc.gov.sa)

2. How to apply for trademark registration

• electronic submission

3. Trademark registration application language

• Arabic

4. Documents required for trademark registration application

• Trademark registration request letter;
• Trademark pattern;
• A list of goods and/or services for which the trademark is used;
• The power of attorney must be notarized and authenticated by the embassy or consulate and the original copy must be provided. It can be supplemented later.
• A certified copy of the priority document and its Arabic translation should be submitted within 6 months from the filing date.

5. Saudi Arabia Trademark Registration Application Process

• After submitting a trademark application for goods or services, the Trademark Office will automatically start reviewing the trademark application documents and registrability within 14 days of receiving the trademark registration application. If the official believes that there are problems with the trademark's application documents or registrability, it will issue an examination opinion requiring the applicant to make corrections or explanations. The response period is within 3 months of receiving the notice of examination opinion. Once an application is formally rejected, a complaint against the rejection can be submitted to the Ministry of Commerce within 60 days from the date of receipt of the rejection notice. If there is no objection within the objection period, the trademark will be approved for registration.
• In Saudi Arabia, if a trademark registration application is rejected, the applicant can change the trademark sample after receiving the rejection notice, that is, add other significant parts to make the trademark as a whole distinctive or make the applied trademark clearly distinguishable from the cited trademark, without the need for After paying the official fee again, the official will re-examine the revised trademark and decide whether to withdraw or maintain the rejection of the trademark.

6. Documents required for trademark change/transfer

• Letter of authorization certified by the embassy or consulate.
• Original trademark certificate.
• Deed of Transfer of Rights (DOA) certified by the embassy or consulate.

7. Trademark cancellation

• If a trademark is not used for five consecutive years from the date of registration, the trademark may be revoked.

8. Trademark objections

• After the trademark is reviewed, it will enter the announcement stage. The trademark opposition period is 60 days and the defense period is 30 days. During this period, any third party can file an objection. After a trademark is opposed, a hearing will be held at which the applicant can submit evidence and documents.

9. Authorization, validity period and trademark renewal

• The official fees for the Saudi trademark registration authorization stage must be paid within 30 days before the expiration of the announcement period. The validity period of a trademark in Saudi Arabia is 9 years and 8 months from the date of application (10 Islamic calendar years). An application for renewal can be filed by the trademark owner in the last year of validity of the trademark. The extension period is 6 months after the expiration of the trademark validity period.

10. Average time for trademark authorization

• If there is no objection, it will take about 3-5 months to apply for registration of a trademark in Saudi Arabia. If there is any objection, it will take about 12 months.