UAE Broadens Innovation Support with Industrial Property Fee Exemptions for Student Inventors and People of Determination
The Ministry of Economy and Tourism has implemented Cabinet Resolution 136 of 2026, providing comprehensive fee waivers to nurture emerging talent and foster an inclusive innovation ecosystem across the nation.
The Ministry of Economy and Tourism has undertaken a comprehensive review of Cabinet Resolution No. 136 of 2026, a transformative initiative designed to exempt student inventors and People of Determination from select industrial property service fees. This progressive measure reflects the UAE’s unwavering commitment to cultivating a vibrant innovation landscape that welcomes and supports talent from all segments of society.
Implementation of the resolution commenced on 14th September, 2026, delivering complete fee exemptions across 29 distinct services. These encompass eleven services of particular significance to student inventors and People of Determination, including patent applications, industrial design registration, utility certificate filings, integrated circuit layout protection, and the annual maintenance fees requisite for the second through fifth years of intellectual property protection. The original fees for these services typically ranged from AED100 to AED1,000.
Beyond this foundational tier, the resolution extends additional exemptions: nine specialised services for People of Determination, where original fees previously reached between AED1,000 and AED9,000, and nine further services for student inventors, with original fees spanning AED500 to AED4,500. This comprehensive approach substantially reduces the financial barriers to intellectual property protection and encourages emerging innovators to formalise and develop their creations into valuable industrial assets.
Dr. Abdulrahman Hassan Al Muaini, Assistant Undersecretary for the Intellectual Property Sector, articulated the strategic vision underlying this resolution. He emphasised that the UAE has long pursued the development of a sophisticated legislative framework for industrial property protection, harmonised with international best practices. This commitment manifests through the Federal Law on the Regulation and Protection of Industrial Property Rights and the nation’s accession to the Locarno Agreement Establishing an International Classification for Industrial Designs, demonstrating the UAE’s dedication to strengthening its international intellectual property partnerships.
Dr. Al Muaini underscored that the resolution embodies the UAE’s vision of nurturing creativity and innovation by empowering student inventors and People of Determination to register their innovations seamlessly and safeguard their intellectual rights. This initiative enhances their participation within the national intellectual property ecosystem and facilitates their access to services that enable growth and commercialisation, thereby reinforcing the UAE’s emergence as a global centre for creativity and the new economy.
The Ministry continues advancing the digital infrastructure supporting intellectual property services, encompassing patents, industrial designs and utility certificates. These technological enhancements improve service efficiency, accelerate registration and protection procedures, and deliver a more refined experience for inventors, innovators and business enterprises, in alignment with the aspirations articulated within the ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision.
Recent performance metrics demonstrate the flourishing state of the UAE’s innovation ecosystem. Patent applications increased by 9 percent during the first half of 2026 compared with the corresponding period in 2025, whilst utility certificate applications recorded substantial growth of 21.43 percent. The cumulative total of applications for patents, utility certificates and industrial designs registered throughout the nation has reached 22,184, reflecting the growing enthusiasm among innovators and enterprises to protect and benefit from industrial property rights.
Source: WAM