Ministry of Economy and Tourism

The UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism (formerly the Ministry of Economy) is the federal ministry behind several registers that businesses cannot avoid. It runs the national trademark register — trademark applications, oppositions and renewals are filed with the ministry — along with patent and industrial design protection, making it the front door of UAE intellectual property practice. It also maintains the commercial agencies register, which gives registered local agents powerful statutory protections against termination, administers anti-dumping and competition files, and oversees auditors and certain anti-money-laundering supervision for non-financial businesses. Companies meet the ministry when protecting a brand, registering or fighting a commercial agency, or complying with economic regulations. IP lawyers file and litigate trademarks through its system; commercial lawyers treat the agency register as the first check before signing any UAE distribution arrangement.