The UAE is waiving intellectual property registration fees for student inventors and people with disabilities, removing a key barrier to innovation protection.
The Ministry of Economy and Tourism began implementing Cabinet Resolution No 136 of 2026 on September 14, providing full exemptions across 29 services related to patents, industrial designs, utility certificates and integrated circuit layouts.
Student inventors and people of determination both benefit from exemptions on 11 shared services, including patent and industrial design registration applications, utility certificate examinations and annual protection fees covering years two through five. Those fees previously ranged from Dh100 to Dh1,000.
People of determination receive additional exemptions on nine further services, with original fees of up to Dh9,000, while student inventors are exempt from nine separate services previously costing up to Dh4,500.
Fostering creativity and innovation
Abdulrahman Al Muaini, Assistant Undersecretary for the Intellectual Property Sector at the Ministry, said the resolution reflected the UAE's commitment to building a comprehensive legislative environment aligned with international standards.
"The Cabinet resolution affirms the UAE's vision of fostering creativity and innovation by supporting student inventors and People of Determination, enabling them to register their innovations with ease and protect their rights," Mr Al Muaini said.
The move comes against a backdrop of rising demand for intellectual property protection in the UAE. The ministry recorded a 9 per cent increase in patent applications during the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, while utility certificate applications grew by 21 per cent over the same period.
Total patent applications in 2025 reached approximately 4,300. The cumulative number of patents, utility certificates and industrial design applications registered in the country has reached 22,184, reflecting growing interest among innovators and businesses in securing industrial property rights.
The ministry said it continues to develop its digital infrastructure for IP services in line with the objectives of the We the UAE 2031 vision.
