UAE Intellectual Property Fee Exemptions 2026: New Benefits for Student Inventors and People of Determination

Protecting an invention is an important step in turning an idea into a valuable intellectual property asset. However, registration and related service fees can create financial barriers, particularly for students, emerging inventors and individuals who need additional support to access intellectual property services.

The UAE has introduced a measure to address this issue through Cabinet Resolution No. 136 of 2026, which provides exemptions from selected industrial property service fees for student inventors and People of Determination.

The Ministry of Economy and Tourism announced that implementation began on 14 September 2026. The measure covers 29 industrial property services and is intended to make it easier for eligible individuals to register and protect their innovations.

For students developing research projects, aspiring inventors and individuals seeking to protect new designs or inventions, this resolution may reduce some of the costs associated with formal intellectual property protection.

1. What Is Cabinet Resolution No. 136 of 2026?

Cabinet Resolution No. 136 of 2026 concerns exemptions from certain industrial property service fees provided by the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism.

According to the official announcement published by the Emirates News Agency on 11 October 2026, the resolution provides full fee exemptions for 29 services. These include services relating to patent applications, industrial designs, integrated circuit layouts and utility certificates.

The exemptions are divided between services available to both student inventors and People of Determination, and additional services designated for each group separately.

The resolution forms part of the UAE’s broader efforts to encourage innovation, strengthen intellectual property protection and make registration services more accessible.

2. Which Existing UAE Law Governs Industrial Property Rights?

Cabinet Resolution No. 136 of 2026 should be read in the context of the UAE’s existing industrial property legislation.

The principal legislation in this area is Federal Law No. 11 of 2021 on the Regulation and Protection of Industrial Property Rights, together with Cabinet Decision No. 6 of 2022, which provides its implementing regulation.

The federal law governs the protection and registration of industrial property rights, including patents, industrial designs, utility models and integrated circuit layouts. It also addresses the procedures for registering, using, exploiting and assigning these rights.

The implementing regulation supports the application of the law through more detailed procedural provisions.

Cabinet Resolution No. 136 of 2026 introduces a separate fee-related measure for specified eligible applicants and services. It should not be interpreted as replacing the underlying industrial property legislation or removing the applicable requirements for obtaining protection.

Official legislative source: UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism — Legislation regulating the economic sector.

Legal-reference note: The full text of Cabinet Resolution No. 136 of 2026, including its individual article numbers, was not independently available in the official material reviewed for this article. Accordingly, this article identifies the resolution by its verified number and does not attribute specific provisions to unverified article numbers.

3. Who Can Benefit from the Fee Exemptions?

The announced exemptions cover two groups: student inventors and People of Determination.

Student inventors

Student inventors may benefit from exemptions on specified services used to register and protect their inventions and related industrial property rights.

This may be relevant to students working on technical projects, research-based innovations, new products or designs that could have commercial or industrial value.

People of Determination

People of Determination can benefit from the services available to both groups, as well as additional fee-exempt services specifically designated for them.

The measure may help reduce the cost of protecting innovations and make formal intellectual property registration more accessible.

Important: Eligibility should be confirmed with the Ministry of Economy and Tourism. The official announcement identifies the beneficiary groups and the broad categories of services, but applicants should check the Ministry’s current service requirements before submitting an application.

4. Which Intellectual Property Services Are Covered?

The Ministry’s announcement identifies 29 services covered by the exemptions.

The announcement identifies 11 services available to both student inventors and People of Determination. A further nine services are exempt for People of Determination, while another nine are exempt for student inventors.

These figures account for the 29 services announced by the Ministry.

Applicants should not assume that every intellectual property service, every stage of an application or every fee payable to a third-party provider is automatically exempt. The benefit relates to the specified Ministry services covered by the resolution.

5. How Much Can Applicants Save?

The financial benefit depends on the service required and the applicant’s eligibility.

According to the Ministry’s announcement:

• The original fees for the 11 services available to both groups range from AED 100 to AED 1,000.

• The nine additional services designated for People of Determination had original fees ranging from AED 1,000 to AED 9,000.

• The nine additional services designated for student inventors had original fees ranging from AED 500 to AED 4,500.

These figures describe the original fee ranges for the relevant service groups. They should not be treated as a guaranteed saving for every applicant, because the actual amount depends on the particular service and the applicable eligibility conditions.

The exemptions may be especially useful where an inventor needs to complete several stages of the registration process or maintain protection through specified annual payments.

6. Does the Resolution Remove the Need to Register an Invention Properly?

No. A fee exemption is not the same as automatic intellectual property protection.

An eligible applicant must still follow the applicable procedures and requirements for the relevant right. Depending on the type of protection sought, this may involve submitting the required application and technical information, completing the applicable examination process, responding to requests from the competent authority and satisfying other legal requirements.

For example, a person seeking patent protection should not assume that the exemption itself establishes that the invention meets the legal requirements for a patent.

Similarly, an industrial design application must still satisfy the applicable registration requirements.

The resolution reduces specified service fees for eligible applicants; it does not, based on the announcement reviewed, establish that the ordinary legal requirements for protection have been waived.

7. What Should Student Inventors and People of Determination Do?

Individuals considering an application should take the following practical steps.

First, identify the right to be protected. Determine whether the innovation may require patent protection, industrial design registration, a utility certificate or another form of industrial property protection.

Second, confirm eligibility. Check the Ministry of Economy and Tourism’s current requirements for student inventors or People of Determination, including any supporting documents needed to establish eligibility.

Third, confirm the service fee. Identify the exact service required and verify that it appears within the services covered by the exemption.

Fourth, prepare the application. Gather the technical descriptions, drawings, supporting information and other documents applicable to the particular type of registration.

Finally, confirm the current procedure with the Ministry. Applicants should verify the submission process, applicable technical requirements and any fees that remain payable before proceeding.

Businesses, universities and research institutions supporting eligible inventors may also wish to review their intellectual property processes so that promising innovations are identified and protected at an appropriate stage.

8. What Does This Mean for Businesses and Innovation in the UAE?

Although the exemptions are directed at specified individual groups, the measure may also have wider implications for the UAE’s innovation ecosystem.

Student research projects and individual inventions can develop into commercial products, industrial designs or business opportunities. Reducing certain registration costs may make it easier for eligible inventors to take the first steps towards protecting their work.

For businesses, this is also a reminder that intellectual property should be considered early in product development and commercialisation. Companies working with student inventors, research teams or individual innovators should clarify ownership, confidentiality and any arrangements for commercial use before an invention is brought to market.

The fee exemptions do not remove the need for suitable intellectual property documentation or agreements. Those issues remain important when an invention is developed jointly, transferred to a business or commercialised through a licensing arrangement.

Conclusion

Cabinet Resolution No. 136 of 2026 introduces targeted fee exemptions for student inventors and People of Determination seeking specified industrial property services in the UAE. Implemented from 14 September 2026, the measure covers 29 services relating to patents, industrial designs, integrated circuit layouts, utility certificates and associated procedures.

The exemptions may reduce the cost of protecting eligible innovations. However, applicants must still confirm their eligibility, identify the relevant service and comply with the applicable registration requirements under the UAE’s industrial property legislation.

For individuals developing inventions and businesses seeking to commercialise new ideas, understanding both the available fee benefits and the underlying protection requirements is an important part of managing intellectual property effectively.

Malhotra Legal Consultancy can assist businesses and individuals in understanding UAE intellectual property requirements and identifying appropriate legal support for their commercial and innovation-related activities.