The United Arab Emirates deposited its instrument of accession to the Locarno Agreement on 6 July 2026, and the treaty will enter into force for the country on 6 October 2026. The agreement establishes the international classification used for industrial designs, requiring competent offices to indicate the relevant classes and subclasses in applications, registrations and official publications. The move gives the UAE a common classification framework for examining and administering design filings.
The change is procedural rather than substantive, but it should make cross-border filing work more predictable. Applicants often lose time reconciling different product descriptions and classification practices across jurisdictions; using the Locarno system should reduce that friction and improve consistency with filings made elsewhere, including through the Hague System. Businesses planning UAE design applications should review product indications and class selections before October so that local and international filing strategies remain aligned.
