Riyadh, January 22, 2025 – In a significant step toward enhancing intellectual property (IP) rights and promoting innovation, Saudi Arabia has officially joined the Hague System for the International Registration of Industrial Designs, becoming the 99th country to do so. The announcement was made by the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP), marking a key development in the Kingdom’s efforts to create a more robust and comprehensive IP framework.
The Hague System, administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), offers a streamlined mechanism for securing design protection in multiple countries or regions through a single application. This system aims to simplify the process for creative individuals and businesses by providing a unified approach to registering designs across international borders, thereby ensuring broad regional and international protection.
By joining the Hague System, Saudi Arabia underscores its commitment to fostering a dynamic ecosystem for creativity and innovation, which are essential components of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. This move highlights the government’s focus on developing a knowledge-based economy and enhancing the protection of intellectual property, which plays a crucial role in strengthening national industries and promoting economic diversification.
According to WIPO, Saudi Arabia’s membership as the largest economy in the Middle East is a testament to the country’s dedication to advancing innovation and design protection. It also enhances the Hague System’s role as a global solution for securing design rights, offering new opportunities for designers both in Saudi Arabia and around the world. The Kingdom’s accession is expected to encourage broader adoption of the system across the region, further integrating Saudi Arabia into the global IP landscape.
Abdulaziz Al-Swailem, Chief Executive Officer of SAIP, emphasized that joining the Hague System will simplify the process for designers seeking to protect their creations internationally. Through this system, Saudi designers and businesses will now be able to register their industrial designs in any of the member countries of their choice, significantly improving their ability to market and sell products globally while maintaining strong legal protection and streamlined management of their design rights across jurisdictions.
Saudi Arabia’s accession to the Hague System follows the submission of its instrument of accession to the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement. The country’s membership will officially take effect on April 7, 2025. Saudi Arabia has been a member of WIPO since 1982, and this latest step reaffirms the Kingdom’s ongoing commitment to strengthening the global IP system and supporting the creative industries that are vital to its future growth.
As Saudi Arabia continues to build a knowledge-driven economy, the integration of its intellectual property system with international frameworks like the Hague System will play an increasingly important role in supporting the Kingdom's goals of economic diversification, technological advancement, and international competitiveness.