UAE Waives Selected Industrial Property Fees for Student Inventors and People of Determination

The UAE has introduced new fee exemptions for student inventors and People of Determination using selected industrial property services provided by the Ministry of Economy and Tourism. The exemptions were introduced through Cabinet Resolution No. 136 of 2026, issued on 24 July 2026 and published in the Official Gazette on 14 August. The Resolution entered into force on 14 September 2026.

The measure forms part of the UAE's wider framework for protecting inventions, industrial designs and other industrial property rights while reducing some of the financial barriers faced by qualifying applicants.

The exemptions apply to specified services within the Ministry of Economy and Tourism's industrial property fee schedule. These include certain procedures relating to:

• patent applications;

• utility models;

• industrial designs;

• integrated circuit layout designs;

• ownership changes and amendments;

• appeals and grievances;

• certificates and certified copies;

• international patent applications; and

• certain examination and publication procedures.

The Resolution identifies the exempt services by reference to specific service numbers under the existing government fee schedule. It does not abolish all intellectual property fees.

Both student inventors and People of Determination receive exemptions from a common group of industrial property service fees. Additional exemptions then apply separately to each category, including certain technical examination and review procedures. Applicants should therefore confirm which specific service fees apply to their individual application rather than assuming that every stage of industrial property registration is free.

Under the Ministry of Economy and Tourism's existing fee framework, industrial property applications can involve government charges at several stages. For example, the Ministry's published schedule sets the standard patent application fee for natural persons, SMEs and academic institutions at AED 1,000, with higher fees applying to juridical persons. Industrial design and other industrial-property applications also carry their own prescribed fees.

The new exemptions can therefore reduce the cost of obtaining formal protection for qualifying inventors.

The Resolution applies specifically to eligible student inventors and People of Determination. Other individuals, businesses and legal entities remain subject to the normal Ministry of Economy and Tourism fee schedule unless another exemption applies.

The changes also do not alter the underlying legal framework governing industrial property rights in the UAE. Patents, utility certificates, industrial designs and related rights continue to be regulated under the UAE's industrial property legislation.

NUR Advisory Note

The new exemptions may be particularly relevant to students developing commercially viable inventions and to entrepreneurs or innovators who qualify as People of Determination.

Applicants should nevertheless assess the complete intellectual property protection process rather than focusing only on the initial filing fee.

Depending on the type of right being protected, the process may involve examination, publication, renewal, documentation and other procedural requirements.

For businesses working with founders, researchers or academic institutions, intellectual property ownership should also be clarified at an early stage. The identity of the inventor, the applicant and the eventual commercial owner of the intellectual property may not necessarily be the same.

Where an invention is intended to form part of a future company, investment transaction or commercial licensing arrangement, the ownership and registration structure should therefore be considered alongside the filing process itself.