Saudi Arabia issues regulations for using names of holy cities in trademarks

Cairo: Saudi Arabia has unveiled regulations for registering trademarks that use the names of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina as well as those of Islam's most sacred mosques.

The rules of using the names of Mecca, Medina, the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque in Arabic or any other language stipulate, among other things, that the trademark is related to a major and distinguished real-estate or service project in both cities.

Moreover, the name should be one component of the trademark, not its intrinsic element, and should not cause confusion as to the origin of the commodities or services in question.

According to the rules published by Saudi Arabia's Official Gazette, Um Al Qura, the owner of the registered trademark is committed not to causing damage or distortion to the reputation of the geographical region used in the trademark.

The owner shall not get the exclusive right of the used name, nor is he/she mandated to bar others from using the same name.

These rules take effect following their publication in the Official Gazette on Friday.

Saudi media reported that the board director of the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property Al Shihana bint Saleh, who is also an advisor at the royal court, has issued a decision approving the regulations for registering a trademark that includes the names of Mecca, Medina, the Grand Mosque in Mecca, or the Prophet's Mosque in Medina in Arabic or any other language.