The Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP) registers trademarks, patents, designs and copyright and also handles much of the enforcement. Saudi Arabia joined the Madrid Protocol with effect from 8 October 2026, so trademark owners can now extend international registrations to the Kingdom, and it has been in the Hague design system since April 2025 and the PCT since 2013. Trademarks follow the GCC Trademark Law as applied in Saudi Arabia, and register-first is the safe assumption.
Where rights are registered and under which laws
SAIP, set up in 2018, is the single office for trademarks, patents, industrial designs, copyright, plant varieties and integrated-circuit layouts. Trademarks are governed by the GCC Trademark Law approved by Royal Decree No. M/51 of 1435H, as amended in 1442H, which replaced the earlier Saudi trademark law. Patents and designs fall under the Law on Patents, Layout-Designs of Integrated Circuits, Plant Varieties, and Industrial Designs, most recently amended in September 2023.
Copyright follows the Copyright Law of 2003, amended in 2018. Registration of works with SAIP is optional but gives useful evidence of ownership and date in a dispute.1234
International filing routes
Saudi Arabia acceded to the Madrid Protocol on 8 July 2026 and it took effect on 8 October 2026. Brand owners can now designate Saudi Arabia in a new or existing international registration instead of filing nationally, though how SAIP examines Madrid designations in practice is still new. Saudi Arabia has been in the Paris and Berne Conventions since 2004, the PCT and Patent Law Treaty since 2013, and the Hague system for designs since 7 April 2025.
Groups planning a Saudi launch should compare the cost and control of a national SAIP filing with the convenience of managing Saudi Arabia inside one international portfolio, and watch for provisional refusals while SAIP practice on the new route settles.5678
Enforcement
SAIP runs online enforcement as well as registration. It reported 11,593 reports about infringing websites in 2025 with an average blocking time of 36 minutes, and filing volumes are rising: more than 64,200 trademark and 10,300 patent applications in 2025. A specialised IP prosecution office established in 2024 investigates and brings criminal cases for infringement.
For counterfeit goods, border action involves customs (ZATCA) as well as SAIP, so keeping registrations current and documented makes both routes easier to use.91011
| Treaty | Purpose | In force for Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| Paris Convention | Priority and national treatment for industrial property | 11 March 2004 |
| Berne Convention | Copyright protection without formalities among members | 11 March 2004 |
| Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) | International patent applications | 3 August 2013 |
| Hague Agreement | International industrial design registrations | 7 April 2025 |
| Madrid Protocol | International trademark registrations | 8 October 2026 |
How it works, step by step
- Search the Saudi register and decide between a national SAIP filing and a Madrid designation for each mark.52SAIP / WIPO
- File trademark applications, in Arabic and Latin script versions where both will be used, through a licensed IP agent or directly.110SAIP
- Enter the PCT national phase or file designs through Hague or nationally for technology and product designs.78SAIP
- Register key copyright works optionally to strengthen evidence, and set up online and customs enforcement.49SAIP; ZATCA
No timings or fees are shown unless an official source states them.
Documents usually needed
- Power of attorney for the IP agent (legalisation requirements to be confirmed)
- Clear reproduction of the mark and list of goods and services by Nice class
- Priority document where Paris Convention priority is claimed
- Licence or assignment agreements for recordal
- Evidence of authorship and creation date for optional copyright registration
Common mistakes
- Launching under a brand before filing in Saudi Arabia, leaving room for third-party filings.
- Filing only a Latin-script mark when the brand will be used or transliterated in Arabic.
- Missing PCT national phase deadlines for Saudi Arabia, which ends the chance of protection through that application.
- Relying on a Madrid designation without monitoring for provisional refusals now that the route is new for Saudi Arabia.
- Leaving licences unrecorded and distributor agreements silent on who owns locally registered marks.
When the business crosses borders
- Madrid designations of Saudi Arabia have been possible since 8 October 2026; existing international registrations can be extended by subsequent designation.
- PCT applications can enter the Saudi national phase, and Hague design applications can designate Saudi Arabia.
- Saudi trademark law is the GCC Trademark Law as applied nationally; registration in another GCC state does not by itself protect a mark in Saudi Arabia.
Questions businesses ask
Can we extend our international trademark registration to Saudi Arabia?
Yes. The Madrid Protocol has been in force for Saudi Arabia since 8 October 2026, so Saudi Arabia can be designated in a new international application or by subsequent designation.5
Who handles IP infringement in Saudi Arabia?
SAIP handles registration and much enforcement, including website blocking, and a specialised IP prosecution office set up in 2024 brings criminal cases.911
Do we have to register copyright?
No. Registration of copyright works with SAIP is optional, but it is useful evidence of ownership.4
What this guide does not yet confirm
These points need checking with a qualified local professional in Saudi Arabia before you rely on them.
- Protection terms, renewal periods, opposition windows, non-use cancellation periods and official fees could not be confirmed on an opened official page.
- Saudi Arabia's declarations under the Madrid Protocol (individual fees, refusal period) and SAIP's practice on designations were not visible.
- Criminal penalty ranges for trademark counterfeiting and copyright infringement were not confirmed.
- The status of any draft comprehensive Saudi IP law was not checked.
- The specialised IP court and prosecution office rely on a foreign-government summary.
Sources and review status
Each statement is numbered to the source it was checked against. We use official sources where we can, and each statement says whether it was checked against an official or a secondary source. Sources last checked on 19 October 2026. None of it has been professionally reviewed yet: it is research checked against official and secondary sources by WONE Global, not legal or tax advice.
The Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP) is the national office for trademarks, patents, industrial designs, copyright, plant varieties and layout designs of integrated circuits. Established by Council of Ministers Resolution No. 496 of 29 May 2018.
Service list confirmed on SAIP's website (saip.gov.sa/en).
Trademarks in Saudi Arabia are governed by the GCC Trademark Law, approved by Royal Decree No. M/51 of 26/7/1435H and amended by Royal Decree No. M/49 of 1/6/1442H, which repealed the 2002 Saudi Law on Trademarks. The Executive Regulation of the GCC Trademark Law (2015) applies alongside it.
Effective date shown is the publication date given by WIPO Lex; entry into force for Saudi Arabia is not stated on the page.
Patents, industrial designs, layout designs of integrated circuits and plant varieties are governed by the Law on Patents, Layout-Designs of Integrated Circuits, Plant Varieties, and Industrial Designs (Royal Decree No. M/27 of 1425H), most recently amended by Royal Decree No. M/45 of 25 September 2023. Implementing Regulations (amended to 2019) and Regulations on the Compulsory Licensing of Patents (2020) apply alongside it.
The English text on WIPO Lex is unofficial.
Copyright is governed by the Copyright Law issued in 2003 and amended in 2018, and registration of copyright works with SAIP is optional under SAIP's Regulations for the Optional Registration of Copyright Works.
Law title and amendment year confirmed on the WIPO Lex country profile.
Saudi Arabia acceded to the Madrid Protocol on 8 July 2026 and the Protocol entered into force for Saudi Arabia on 8 October 2026, so international trademark applications can now designate Saudi Arabia. Saudi declarations (for example on individual fees or refusal periods) were not visible on the page.
Very recent change; SAIP practice on Madrid designations may still be settling.
Saudi Arabia has been party to the Paris Convention and the Berne Convention since 11 March 2004.
The Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) and the Patent Law Treaty have been in force for Saudi Arabia since 3 August 2013.
The Hague Agreement on the international registration of industrial designs has been in force for Saudi Arabia since 7 April 2025.
SAIP handled 11,593 reports about infringing websites in 2025, with an average blocking time of 36 minutes. Online enforcement figure from SAIP's 2025 annual report news release.
SAIP reported for 2025 more than 64,200 trademark applications, more than 10,300 patent applications, more than 2,600 design applications and 292 licensed IP agents. Annual figures from SAIP's 2025 annual report as described in its news release.
A specialised intellectual property prosecution office was established in 2024 to investigate and bring criminal proceedings for infringement.
Secondary (foreign government) source; the same report refers to a specialised IP court. Official Saudi announcement not yet checked.
Questions on this topic
11 statements on intellectual property and brand protection in Saudi Arabia
