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Gulf News reported that the UAE has approved new exemptions on fees for certain industrial property services, with the changes taking effect from September 14, 2026. Under Cabinet Resolution No. 136 of 2026 the two categories will be exempt from specified fees under the existing schedule for services provided by the Ministry of Economy and Tourism. The resolution was issued on July 24, 2026, published in the Official Gazette on August 14 and comes into force on Monday.
Both student inventors and People of Determination will be exempt from fees for services numbered 1, 3, 5, 7, 21, 22, 46, 57, 59, 61 and 63 under the existing fee schedule, according to the Gulf News report on the resolution. These services cover several core industrial-property procedures including filing applications for patents, utility models, industrial designs and integrated circuit layout designs. They also include procedures related to ownership changes and amendments, appeals or grievances, certified copies and official certificates, international patent applications and certain publication requirements.
People of Determination will receive additional exemptions covering services 9, 11, 13, 15, 23, 25, 27, 32 and 34. Student inventors will receive additional exemptions covering services 10, 12, 14, 16, 24, 26, 28, 33 and 35. The resolution details published by Gulf News outline the separate lists that apply to each group.
The Ministry of Economy and Tourism has pursued a series of measures to support innovation and broader economic participation. A full trademark fee waiver for People of Determination was approved in February 2026 while trademark fees for SMEs were halved with a one-day registration service launched in October 2025, previous Gulf News coverage showed. These steps align with wider government initiatives to strengthen the intellectual property ecosystem.
Ministry of Economy and Tourism figures show the number of intellectual property registrations in the UAE increased by 34.3 percent in the first nine months of 2024 while trademark registrations grew 39.12 percent. Patents, utility certificates and industrial designs rose by 8 percent compared with the same period in 2023. Between January and July 2025 the ministry recorded 1,221 patents registered against 466 in the corresponding period a year earlier with new patent applications climbing to 2,430 from 1,996.
The Ministry of Economy and Tourism data places cumulative patent registrations at 5,697 by the end of September 2024, reflecting 12 percent growth, while industrial designs reached 9,340 with 5.7 percent growth. The authority has partnered with entities such as Dubai Science Park to accelerate patent registrations and raise IP awareness through workshops and training. Such collaboration supports the processing of applications and the commercialisation of locally developed innovations.
