LEGAL INSIGHTS

Trademark Protection Duration and Renewal Rules in Saudi Arabia

MAY 2026 · 6 min read

Many trademark owners think registration is a permanent right. Reality: protection is temporary and renewable, and missing the renewal date can cost you the mark to anyone. Here is what the Saudi system precisely says, and what you must do six months before every cycle ends.

Statutory Protection Term

Under Saudi trademark law, protection is granted for 10 years starting from the filing date, not the issuance date. A subtle but important distinction in calculation.

The term is renewable for an unlimited number of cycles, each ten years. Practically, a trademark can stay protected for a full century if renewed regularly.

Renewal Window Before Expiration

The renewal window opens one full year before the expiration date. We recommend filing the renewal within the final six months to avoid any procedural issues.

Do not wait for the last day. Any document or fee defect can delay matters by days — enough to let protection lapse.

Grace Period After Expiration

If you missed renewal, the system grants a 6-month grace period after expiration for renewal with extra fees. This is the "safety net."

But during this window, the mark is in a fragile legal state: administratively protected, but any party may file an application for the same mark thinking it is available.

After the Grace Period Lapses

If the grace period passes without renewal, protection drops and the name becomes available for anyone to register. The original owner can recover it only through complex, unguaranteed court action.

This is the worst-case scenario: losing a mark you built over ten years or more due to a procedural oversight.

Renewal Fees

Official renewal fees are approximately SAR 5,000 per class. Late renewal (within the grace period) adds delay fees that vary by duration.

Each registered class has separate fees — if your mark is registered in three classes, count fees three times.

How We Ensure No Renewal Is Missed

At Rights we run an internal "deadline ledger" per client and send alerts one year, six months, and three months before each mark's expiration. This is part of our ongoing follow-up service.

Golden tip: assign an internal owner inside your company (corporate counsel or legal manager) as the point of contact with the trademark office. Do not leave it to "whoever remembers."