LEGAL INSIGHTS

Trademark Registration in Saudi Arabia: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide

MAY 2026 · 8 min read

Trademark registration in Saudi Arabia is a structured procedure handled by the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP), running through seven defined legal stages. Many entrepreneurs miss the details and fall into avoidable delay or refusal. Here is the full procedure as we run it daily at Rights.

1. Preliminary Search

The first step — taken before formal filing — is a search of the SAIP database for similar marks in the target class. The search catches literal, phonetic, and conceptual similarity and determines whether filing is worth pursuing.

Skipping this step is the number-one cause of refusal. A refused mark means lost fees, lost time, and lost marketing investment.

2. Class Selection via the Nice Classification

Goods and services are classified into 45 classes under the international Nice system. Picking the right class — or multiple classes when needed — defines the scope of legal protection.

Common mistake: registering in a class that does not cover the actual business activity. Result: nominal protection with no practical value when disputes arise.

3. Filing the Application via the SAIP Portal

The application is filed electronically through the SAIP platform with: commercial registration, mark image (logo / wordmark), description, and the Nice list of goods/services.

The official fee (SAR 1,000 per class at first stage) is paid at filing, and the application receives a tracking number.

4. Formal and Substantive Examination

Formal examination confirms completeness and validity of the file. Substantive examination is deeper: it tests registrability (distinctiveness, non-similarity, no public-order conflict).

This stage usually takes 3–6 months. If the examiner raises observations, the applicant has 60 days to respond with a legal memorandum.

5. Publication in the Official Gazette

Once accepted, the mark is published in the Official IP Gazette for 60 days. Any party with standing may oppose registration during this window.

Publication is not a formality — it is the high-risk window. Competitors who watched your filing may step in here.

6. Responding to Oppositions (If Any)

An opposition must be answered with a reasoned reply within 60 days. The reply demands precise legal drafting and sometimes evidence of prior use or rebuttal of similarity.

If no opposition is filed, or the reply is accepted, the mark moves to issuance.

7. Issuance of the Registration Certificate

After the publication window closes successfully, SAIP issues the final registration certificate. It is valid for 10 years, renewable every ten years with no upper limit.

From this moment, the mark carries full civil and criminal enforcement power under Saudi law.

Total Timeline and Cost

Expected time from filing to issuance: 8–12 months in a routine case. Total government fees: SAR 1,000 (filing) + SAR 5,000 (publication and issuance) per class, plus legal agent fees.

At Rights we deliver an end-to-end service from search to issuance, handling all observations and oppositions on the client's behalf.