In a groundbreaking move aimed at transforming the branding landscape in the Middle East, the UAE has launched the “Trademark Market,” the first digital platform for buying and trading trademarks in the country. This platform seeks to enhance the innovation environment in the intellectual property sector, contributing to attracting more global investments to the UAE.
The UAE’s Ministry of Economy and Tourism announced the launch of the “Trademark Market” on Wednesday; it is the first digital platform of its kind for buying and trading trademarks in the UAE and the Middle East.
According to a statement from the ministry, the platform was developed by the “Leaders Program of the UAE Government” and represents a new national project added to the innovation and competitiveness environment of intellectual property and the trademark sector in the UAE markets.
The platform aims to bring about a qualitative leap in the trademark industry, driving it to higher levels of growth and prosperity while enhancing the UAE’s attractiveness to global companies and brands.
This announcement was made during an event organized by the ministry at its headquarters in Abu Dhabi, attended by Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism; Abdullah Ahmed Al Saleh, Undersecretary of the Ministry; and Dr. Abdul Rahman Hassan Al Ma’ini, Assistant Undersecretary for the Intellectual Property Sector in the ministry.
Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, the UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism, stated, “This platform is a unique initiative in the UAE and the Middle East, allowing registered trademark owners in the country to list and trade their trademarks in a secure and transparent environment, connecting them with investors and entrepreneurs, in line with enhancing the knowledge economy model and developing new economic sectors while supporting the competitiveness of the business environment.”
He added that the platform serves as a pivotal station in supporting the country’s direction toward empowering intangible business assets, providing them with the opportunity to obtain a fair financial valuation that reflects their true value and economic importance. This is achieved by showcasing trademarks in the UAE markets to a wide and diverse base of investors and entrepreneurs, both locally and internationally, transforming them into effective economic assets, which contributes to increasing the market value of companies in the UAE. Many companies and individuals today own legally protected trademarks that are not commercially utilized to their full potential.
He continued, “Through this platform, we will continue to work towards achieving numerous developmental goals, the most prominent of which is providing a comprehensive, reliable, and secure digital tool that enables trademark owners to generate returns from their registered trademarks by easily and securely listing or selling them, while ensuring the highest levels of transparency and rights protection, and facilitating access for investors and entrepreneurs from around the world to ready or promising trademarks in the country, thereby reducing barriers to entering the local market and shortening the time to market for products and business growth.”
He noted that the “Trademark Market” platform will support the expansion of small and medium-sized enterprises and family businesses by transforming the strength of their trademarks into usable financial assets. It will also contribute to the trading of intangible trademark assets as a strategic economic value that supports innovation and enhances sustainable economic development, encouraging the private sector to increase investment in building brands, research and development, and innovative products.
He clarified that the official operation of the platform began on Wednesday, expressing hope that this step will lead to a significant transformation in the trademark sector in the country, increasing the market’s attractiveness for trademarks by up to 20% during the first year of operation, in addition to enhancing investment in intangible assets.
The Ministry of Economy and Tourism will oversee the platform to ensure compliance with national and international intellectual property laws, utilizing clear and standardized agreements and applying the highest consumer protection standards.
Sales and trading on the platform will be limited to national and international trademarks registered in the UAE, in accordance with the provisions of Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2021 concerning trademarks, ensuring the protection of trademark owners’ rights and promoting transparency and security in all transactions conducted on the platform.
As for the buying and selling mechanism, the platform requires users to log in to ensure secure transactions and reliable verification of all users’ identities, with financial transactions completed through secure and seamless electronic payment methods.