Alpha Consultancy
Intellectual property · Trademarks

Trademark Registration in Saudi Arabia

Trademarks in Saudi Arabia are registered online with the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP). SAIP examines the application, publishes an accepted mark for 60 days so others can object, and issues the certificate once the final fee is paid. Protection lasts 10 years and can be renewed for further 10-year periods. We search for conflicting marks, prepare and file the application on SAIP's platform under your authorization, and track every invoice and deadline through to the certificate.

By Shaz and Nizam, consultants at Alpha Consultancy · Updated October 2026

At a glance

Authority
Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP)
How to file
Online, on SAIP's Unified IP Platform
Publication
60 days, open to objection
Protection
10 years, renewable for further 10-year periods
Renewal window
Last year of protection, plus six months after expiry
SAIP fees for a new mark
SAR 1,000 + 500 + 5,000, billed in three stages

How to register a trademark with SAIP

Filing itself is online. The time goes into examination, publication and the deadlines between them, so most of the steps below are about not missing one.

  1. 01

    Search and choose your classes

    Before filing, check SAIP's records for identical or similar marks covering the same or related goods and services. SAIP refuses a mark that would confuse consumers with an earlier filed or registered one. Goods and services are grouped into classes under the international Nice Classification, which SAIP applies.

  2. 02

    Set up access in the owner's name

    An authorized person signs in to SAIP's platform through the national unified access service or by email. For a company, the authorization is submitted through SAIP's power of attorney service and must be accepted by SAIP before filing. An agent filing for you must be recorded in SAIP's agent registry.

  3. 03

    File the application and pay the first invoice

    The application covers the mark, the owner and the goods or services claimed. A mark containing another person's name, image or logo needs that person's consent. If you filed the same mark abroad in a treaty country within the last six months, you can claim that earlier date as priority.

  4. 04

    Examination

    SAIP accepts the mark, accepts it subject to changes, or refuses it. Requested changes must be made within 90 days or the application lapses. A refusal can be challenged before a committee within 60 days, and the committee's decision before the court within 60 days.

  5. 05

    Publication and objection

    After acceptance, SAIP issues a publication invoice and publishes the mark for 60 days. Anyone concerned can object in writing during that period. If an objection is filed, the applicant has 60 days from notification to reply, or the application is treated as withdrawn.

  6. 06

    Final invoice and certificate

    If no objection is filed, SAIP issues the final invoice, which must be paid within 30 days. The certificate is then printed through the platform. It shows the registration number, the filing and registration dates, the expiry date of protection, the owner and the goods or services covered.

SAIP fees and timelines

SAIP bills in stages, so a trademark is paid for as it progresses. The government fees below are as listed on SAIP's service pages in October 2026. Check them on saip.gov.sa before filing, because fee schedules change. Professional fees for search, preparation and follow-up are separate.

StageSAIP feeTiming
ApplicationSAR 1,000Paid on filing; SAIP's service page lists a 90-day execution time
Changes requested by SAIPNone listedMust be made within 90 days or the application lapses
PublicationSAR 500Mark published for 60 days for objections
Registration and certificateSAR 5,000Final invoice paid within 30 days of issue
Renewal in the last year of protectionSAR 5,500, plus SAR 1,000 publicationRenews for another 10 years
Renewal within six months after expirySAR 6,500, plus SAR 1,000 publicationLast chance before the mark is struck off

What can and cannot be registered

Under the GCC Trademarks Law, which SAIP applies and publishes, a trademark can be any distinctive sign: names, words, signatures, letters, numbers, drawings, logos, seals, pictures or packaging. Sound and smell can form part of a mark. What matters is that the sign distinguishes your goods or services from someone else's.

The law also lists signs that cannot be registered, either as a mark or as part of one. These are the grounds that most often affect commercial brands:

  • Signs with no distinctive character, or the common name or ordinary picture of the goods themselves
  • Signs contrary to public morals or public order, and symbols of a purely religious character
  • State emblems, flags and the logos of Arab or international organizations, without authorization
  • Geographical names that would mislead about the origin of goods or services
  • Another person's name, title, picture or logo, unless that person or their heirs consent
  • Marks similar to an earlier filed or registered mark for the same or related goods or services, where consumers would be misled
  • Copies, imitations or translations of a well-known mark
  • Words such as Registered, Copyright or Concession

Who can own a trademark in Saudi Arabia

The law allows registration by Saudi and GCC individuals and companies carrying on a commercial, industrial, craft or service activity, by foreigners resident in a GCC country who are authorized to carry on such an activity, by foreigners who are nationals or residents of a country that shares a multilateral convention with a GCC state, and by public authorities.

In practice this means a foreign parent company can usually own its mark in Saudi Arabia directly, or the Saudi subsidiary can. Decide which entity should own it before filing. Changing the owner later is a separate SAIP transaction.

Protection, renewal and losing a mark

Registration takes effect from the filing date. The registered owner is treated as the sole owner, and once the mark has been used without interruption for five years from registration with no successful challenge, that ownership can no longer be disputed.

Renewal is filed in the last year of the 10-year term, or within the six months after expiry at a higher fee. Renewal involves no new examination and no objection period. If the owner does not renew within those six months, SAIP strikes the mark off the register, and another party can then register the same mark for the same or similar goods only after three years.

A registered mark can also be lost through non-use. A court can strike it off at the request of anyone concerned if it has not been seriously used for five consecutive years, unless the owner proves the non-use was beyond its control.

A trade name is not a trademark

The trade name reserved with the Ministry of Commerce for your commercial registration and a trademark registered with SAIP are separate registrations under separate laws. Reserving a company name does not register it as a trademark, and a registered trademark does not reserve a trade name. Companies that want the brand protected on products, packaging, websites and signage need the SAIP registration.

How Alpha handles trademark registration

You provide the mark (word, logo or both), a description of the goods and services it will cover, the owner's details, any consent letters, and priority documents if you filed abroad in the last six months. We run the search, propose the classes, prepare the application, file it on SAIP's platform under your company's authorization, and track each invoice, modification request and deadline to the certificate. We then diarize the renewal.

We are a business consultancy, not a law firm. If your mark meets an objection that turns into a dispute, or a case reaches the courts, we will tell you and recommend that you instruct an intellectual property lawyer. Our team in Jeddah speaks Arabic, English, Hindi, Urdu and French and is reachable by phone, WhatsApp or email, Sunday to Thursday, 9:00 to 18:00 KSA time.

Frequently asked questions

How do I register a trademark in Saudi Arabia?
File an application online with the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP) and pay the application invoice. SAIP examines the mark, publishes it for 60 days if accepted, and issues the certificate once the final invoice is paid within 30 days. Companies first submit an authorization through SAIP's power of attorney service.
How much does it cost to register a trademark in Saudi Arabia?
SAIP's listed government fees in October 2026 are SAR 1,000 for the application, SAR 500 for publication and SAR 5,000 for registration and the certificate, SAR 6,500 in total, paid in three stages. Professional fees are separate. Check SAIP's current schedule before filing.
How long does trademark registration take in Saudi Arabia?
SAIP's service page lists an execution time of 90 days, and the law requires SAIP to decide on a complete application within 90 days of filing. Publication then runs for 60 days before the final invoice and certificate. A modification request or an objection adds to that.
How long is a trademark valid in Saudi Arabia?
Ten years, renewable for further 10-year periods. Renewal can be filed in the last year of protection, or within six months after expiry at a higher SAIP fee. After that, SAIP strikes the mark off the register.
Can a foreign company register a trademark in Saudi Arabia?
Yes, if it is a national or resident of a country that shares a multilateral convention with a GCC state, or is resident and authorized to do business in a GCC country. It can file through an agent recorded in SAIP's agent registry, or its Saudi subsidiary can own the mark instead.
Can someone oppose my trademark application?
Yes. Once SAIP publishes an accepted mark, anyone concerned has 60 days to object in writing. SAIP sends you the objection, and you have 60 days from notification to reply, or the application is treated as withdrawn. SAIP's decision on the objection can be challenged.
Is a registered company name the same as a trademark?
No. A trade name reserved with the Ministry of Commerce for your CR and a trademark registered with SAIP are separate registrations. To protect a brand on products, packaging and marketing, register it as a trademark with SAIP.
What happens if I do not renew my trademark?
You have six months after expiry to renew at a higher fee. If you miss that, SAIP strikes the mark off the register, and a third party can then register the same mark for the same or similar goods after three years.
Can a trademark be cancelled if it is not used?
Yes. A court can strike off a registered mark at the request of anyone concerned if it has not been seriously used for five consecutive years, unless the owner proves the non-use was due to reasons beyond its control.
Start here

Let's map your entry into Saudi Arabia.

Thirty minutes with a licensing specialist. We'll pressure-test your structure, timeline, and costs, no obligation.

Book a consultation

We speak your language

  • العربية
  • English
  • हिन्दी
  • اردو
  • Français

Email, WhatsApp or call us directly, in your language.