UAE' approves new fee exemptions for student inventors, People of Determination — what changes from September 14

Dubai: The UAE has approved a new set of fee exemptions for student inventors and People of Determination, cutting the cost of selected government services linked to patents, industrial designs and other industrial-property rights.

Under Cabinet Resolution No. 136 of 2026, the two categories will be exempt from specified fees under the UAE's existing schedule for services provided by the Ministry of Economy and Tourism.

The resolution was issued on July 24, 2026, published in the Official Gazette on August 14, and comes into force on Monday, September 14, 2026.

Importantly, the new Cabinet resolution does not remove every patent-related charge for all students or People of Determination. Instead, it provides exemptions for the specific service numbers listed in Article 1.

The resolution creates two categories of beneficiaries.

Student inventors and People of Determination will both be exempt from fees for services numbered 1, 3, 5, 7, 21, 22, 46, 57, 59, 61 and 63 under the existing fee schedule.

These services cover several core industrial-property procedures, including filing applications for patents, utility models, industrial designs and integrated circuit layout designs.

They also include procedures related to ownership changes and amendments, appeals or grievances, certified copies and official certificates, international patent applications and certain publication requirements.

Meanwhile, People of Determination will receive additional exemptions covering services 9, 11, 13, 15, 23, 25, 27, 32 and 34, while student inventors will receive additional exemptions covering services 10, 12, 14, 16, 24, 26, 28, 33 and 35.

These service numbers relate to technical examination and related review procedures for patent and utility model applications.

The fee schedule uses different service codes depending on the type of application, the number of claims and the examination or review being requested.

For People of Determination, the exemptions cover substantive examination services for patents and utility models, as well as certain expedited examination and subsequent review or re-examination procedures. Student inventors receive equivalent exemptions under a separate set of service numbers.

Substantive examination is one of the key stages in the patent process, when the application is technically assessed to determine whether it meets the requirements for protection. Under the existing fee schedule, patent examination fees can run into thousands of dirhams, ranging from Dh7,000 to Dh9,000 according to some estimates, depending on the application and the number of claims.

The exemptions form part of the UAE's wider industrial-property system, governed by Federal Law No. 11 of 2021 on the Regulation and Protection of Industrial Property Rights.

The Ministry of Economy and Tourism's industrial-property services cover the filing and management of rights including patents, utility models, industrial designs and integrated circuit layout designs.

The system also includes services related to applications, registration, licensing, pledges, annual fees and other procedures connected to industrial property.

In simple terms, these are the government services used by inventors and businesses to apply for and manage legal protection for qualifying inventions, designs and other forms of industrial property.

The Ministry of Economy and Tourism currently lists a Dh1,000 application fee for a patent for individuals, SMEs and academic institutions.

Industrial designs are also covered by the ministry's industrial-property system.

The ministry currently lists a Dh1,000 new-application fee for individuals, SMEs and academic institutions, compared with Dh2,000 for companies.

Applicants must submit the required drawings and the application goes through legal and substantive examination before registration and publication.

The new resolution introduces a targeted fee waiver within this existing system for qualifying student inventors and People of Determination.

The resolution was issued on July 24, 2026, published in Official Gazette No. 829 on August 14, 2026, and takes effect 30 days after publication.

The effective date is September 14, 2026.

The legislation is currently listed as active on the UAE legislation portal.

The UAE's industrial-property legislation provides the legal framework for protecting inventions and other forms of industrial property.

Federal Law No. 11 of 2021 covers patents and utility certificates and sets out the rights associated with them. Under the law, a patent is valid for 20 years, while a utility certificate is valid for 10 years, subject to the applicable requirements and fees.

The Ministry of Economy and Tourism describes its industrial-property services as covering both the filing and management of industrial-property rights, meaning the system extends beyond the initial application itself.