South Africa is not in the Madrid Protocol, so a trademark there means a national CIPC filing, one application per class. This guide, checked against the Trade Marks Act 194 of 1993 and its Regulations, explains what foreign applicants need, how CIPC searches earlier marks itself, every deadline from filing to renewal, the 5-year use rule and why misusing the ® symbol is an offence.
Saudi Arabia Joins the Madrid Protocol: National SAIP Filing or Madrid Designation?
Written by Emily Brooks ·
From 8 October 2026, Saudi Arabia can be designated through the Madrid System: the Kingdom deposited its accession to the Madrid Protocol on 8 July 2026, and its office, the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP), will have 18 months instead of the standard 12 to refuse an international designation. Madrid does not replace the national route. A direct filing with SAIP needs no base mark in another country and gives you a Saudi title that does not depend on any other registration, which is how we register trademarks in Saudi Arabia.
Verified in October 2026 against WIPO's accession notice and the GCC Trademark Law. Procedures change: check the linked sources before you file.
What changes on 8 October 2026
Saudi Arabia becomes the 117th member of the Madrid Protocol, and the Madrid System now covers 133 countries (WIPO, July 2026). From that date:
- New international applications can designate Saudi Arabia.
- Existing international registrations can be extended to Saudi Arabia with a subsequent designation. Protection starts on the date of that designation; it is not backdated to the original international registration date.
- Saudi owners can use SAIP as their office of origin to file one international application for other Madrid members.
Saudi Arabia made two declarations when it joined:
| Declaration | What it means for a designation of Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|
| Refusal period of 18 months (Article 5(2)(b) and (c)) | SAIP has 18 months, not 12, to notify a provisional refusal. Refusals based on an opposition can be notified after those 18 months. |
| Individual fee (Article 8(7)(a)) | Saudi Arabia charges its own fee for each designation and each renewal, published by WIPO. |
SAIP has also told WIPO it will not process the division or merger of international registrations, because Saudi law does not provide for division. Draft the goods and services list carefully before you designate.
SAIP still examines every designation under Saudi law, with its own opposition system. A refusal in Saudi Arabia does not affect the same international registration in the other countries it covers.
National SAIP filing vs Madrid designation
Both routes end in protection in Saudi Arabia. They differ in what you need before you start and in what the result depends on.
| National filing with SAIP | Madrid designation of Saudi Arabia | |
|---|---|---|
| Base mark in another country | Not needed | Required: an application or registration in your home office |
| Who can use it | Applicants listed in the GCC Trademark Law, including foreigners from countries in a convention the GCC States belong to | Nationals of, or persons domiciled or with a business in, a Madrid member |
| Classes per application | One class per application; several only with the office's approval | Several classes in one international application |
| How you file | Directly with SAIP, through a registered local trademark agent if you have no domicile in the Kingdom | Through your home office, which forwards it to WIPO |
| Language | Non-Arabic words in the mark need a certified Arabic translation with phonetic transcription | English, French or Spanish for the international application |
| Local representation | Notarized power of attorney required | Answering a Saudi objection usually needs a representative entitled to act before SAIP |
| Opposition | 60 days from publication | Examined, and open to opposition, by SAIP under Saudi law |
| Timing | Typically about 10 months to registration if there are no oppositions or objections | Up to 18 months for a provisional refusal, later if based on an opposition |
| Dependency | None: an independent Saudi title | Depends on the base mark for 5 years from the international registration date |
| Term and renewal | 10 years, renewable for 10-year periods, with 6 months' grace after expiry | Renewed through the international registration; Saudi Arabia charges its own renewal fee |
Sources: GCC Trademark Law, articles 5, 14 and 20; its Executive Regulations, articles 2 and 4; WIPO's Madrid filing guide and accession notice. The national timeline and the power of attorney come from our Saudi Arabia registration page.
Which route fits your situation
The national route fits when
- You have no base mark. Madrid starts from an application or registration in your home office. Without one, there is nothing to designate from.
- Your base mark is new or contested. For five years, an international registration depends on the base mark. If the base mark is refused or cancelled in that period, the international registration falls with it in every country it covers, including Saudi Arabia. WIPO calls this risk "central attack". The fallback, transformation into national applications that keep the international date, means filing again country by country. A national Saudi registration is not exposed to it.
- Saudi Arabia is the only country you need. Madrid pays off when one application covers several countries.
- You want the Saudi decision sooner. SAIP can take up to 18 months to refuse a designation.
- Your home country is not a Madrid member. Kuwait, for example, is not.
Madrid fits when
- You already hold a stable base registration and want Saudi Arabia plus several other Madrid countries in one filing.
- You prefer to manage one registration and one renewal at WIPO.
- You file several classes and want them in a single application.
The two routes can be combined: a national filing in the market that matters most, and Madrid for the rest.
How to register a trademark in Saudi Arabia through SAIP
- Search first. Check SAIP's register for identical and similar marks in your class with a Saudi Arabia trademark search.
- Choose the classes. Saudi Arabia uses the Nice Classification, and each application normally covers one class. Plan one application per class you need.
- Prepare the documents. A notarized power of attorney, a clear representation of the mark and, if the mark has non-Arabic words, a certified Arabic translation with phonetic transcription.
- Claim priority if you can. If you filed the same mark in another country in the last 6 months, you can claim that date.
- File and wait for examination. A licensed local attorney files the application with SAIP.
- Publication and opposition. After acceptance the mark is published, and anyone has 60 days to oppose it.
- Registration certificate. If no opposition or objection is raised, registration typically takes about 10 months. The registration lasts 10 years and is renewable.
Our service follows those steps: a comprehensive study, the filing by licensed attorneys and the registration certificate. Oppositions and office actions are handled separately, because each needs its own legal analysis. Start here: register your trademark in Saudi Arabia.
Madrid in the Gulf: the six GCC countries
With Saudi Arabia, five of the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries are in the Madrid System. Kuwait is the only one outside it, so Kuwait still needs a national filing.
| Country | Madrid Protocol | In force since | National filing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bahrain | Yes | 15 December 2005 | Register in Bahrain |
| Oman | Yes | 16 October 2007 | Register in Oman |
| United Arab Emirates | Yes | 28 December 2021 | Register in the UAE |
| Qatar | Yes | 3 August 2024 | Register in Qatar |
| Saudi Arabia | Yes | 8 October 2026 | Register in Saudi Arabia |
| Kuwait | No | Not a member | Register in Kuwait |
Dates: WIPO's list of Madrid Protocol contracting parties, October 2026. A Madrid member can still be covered nationally: joining Madrid adds a route and does not close the national one.
If you already have a Saudi trademark registration
Your national registration stays valid. Joining Madrid does not cancel or convert it. If you later designate Saudi Arabia in an international registration, WIPO's replacement rule (Article 4bis of the Protocol) lets the designation take over the earlier national rights when four conditions are met:
- the same owner,
- the same mark,
- goods and services that overlap,
- a designation made after the national registration date.
You then ask SAIP to take note of the replacement. WIPO advises keeping the national registration alive until the five-year dependency period of the international registration has ended. For the wider picture, see our guide to how the Madrid System works and our international trademarks page.
FAQ
When can I designate Saudi Arabia under the Madrid Protocol?
From 8 October 2026, in a new international application or as a subsequent designation of an existing international registration. A subsequent designation protects you from its own date, not from the original international registration date.
Do I still need a local agent in Saudi Arabia?
For a national filing, yes: an applicant without a domicile in the Kingdom files through a registered local trademark agent. For a Madrid designation, you file through your home office. If SAIP raises an objection, answering it usually needs a representative entitled to act before SAIP.
How long does SAIP have to refuse a Madrid designation?
18 months, instead of the standard 12. Refusals based on an opposition can come after that period.
Can I file several classes in one Saudi application?
Nationally, the rule is one class per application, with several classes allowed only with the office's approval. A Madrid international application can cover several classes, but SAIP will not divide a Saudi designation later.
Is Kuwait in the Madrid System?
No. Kuwait is the only GCC country outside Madrid, so protection there needs a national filing in Kuwait.
If Saudi Arabia is your market, start with a search and file nationally with SAIP: register your trademark in Saudi Arabia.
