Qatar deposited its instrument of accession to the Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on 3 May 2024, becoming the 115th member of the Madrid System. The Madrid Protocol entered into force in Qatar on 3 August 2024.

Brand owners in Qatar can now use the Madrid Protocol to protect their trademarks in other Madrid Protocol countries by filing a single international application and paying a single set of fees. Trademark applicants in other Madrid System member countries can now designate Qatar and holders of an international trademark registration are able to expand its geographical scope to include Qatar.

From a regional perspective, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) comprises the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. Of these, the UAE, Bahrain, Oman and now Qatar are members of the Madrid Protocol. Trademark holders in these four countries can use the Madrid Protocol to secure cross-border protection of their brands, while national filings are still required in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

By: Sara Omran

For more information, please contact Sara Omran at our UAE office.