Published: July 2026
The United Arab Emirates has taken another important step towards strengthening and harmonising its intellectual property framework by acceding to the Locarno Agreement Establishing an International Classification for Industrial Designs.
On 6 July 2026, the UAE deposited its instrument of accession with the World Intellectual Property Organization. The Agreement will enter into force for the UAE on 6 October 2026.
What Is the Locarno Agreement?
The Locarno Agreement establishes an internationally recognised classification system for industrial designs, known as the Locarno Classification. The system organises products incorporating industrial designs into specific classes and subclasses, enabling intellectual property offices and applicants to classify designs in a consistent manner.
Following the Agreement’s entry into force, the relevant UAE authorities will apply the Locarno Classification in connection with industrial design applications, registrations and related official publications.
Businesses filing industrial design applications in UAE should ensure that their products are correctly classified under the applicable Locarno classes and subclasses.
It is important to note that accession to the Locarno Agreement concerns the classification of industrial designs. It does not, by itself, provide an international design-registration mechanism or automatically extend design protection from other countries to the UAE.
The UAE’s accession reflects its continuing efforts to modernise its intellectual property system and create a more predictable and internationally aligned environment for innovators, designers and businesses.
For further information or assistance with industrial design filings, prosecution or portfolio management in UAE, please contact ATB Intellectual Property at [email protected] or visit www.atb-ip.com