Saudi Arabia has acceded to the Madrid Protocol following the deposit of its instrument of accession with WIPO on 8 July 2026.

Effective 8 October 2026, Saudi Arabia will join the Madrid System, expanding its reach to 133 countries and strengthening international protection for trade marks. This makes Saudi Arabia the fifth member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to accede to the Madrid Protocol and join the Madrid System, leaving Kuwait as the only GCC country outside the System so far.

The accession enables Saudi brand owners to seek trade mark protection across Madrid System member countries through a single international trade mark application, while allowing foreign rights holders to designate Saudi Arabia in new or existing international trade mark registrations, facilitating broader cross-border brand protection.