What are trademark classes and how many do I need in the UAE?

When you register a UAE trademark you must specify the goods or services the mark will cover, and these are organised under the international Nice Classification, the same class system used in most countries. Each class groups related goods or services, and protection only extends to the classes you actually file in. So a clothing brand and a software company can hold near-identical marks if they sit in different classes and there's no likelihood of confusion. The number of classes you need depends on your business: register the classes that match what you sell now, plus any you plausibly expect to expand into, because adding a class later means a separate filing. In the UAE each class is treated as its own application with its own examination, publication and fees set by the Ministry of Economy. Choosing too few classes leaves gaps; choosing too many wastes cost. The Ministry of Economy's trademark service lists the classification, and a UAE trademark agent or IP lawyer on LEXAI can help you scope the right classes for your products.