WIPO confirmed in Information Notice No. 35/2026 that Saudi Arabia deposited its instrument of accession to the Madrid Protocol on 8 July 2026. The Protocol will enter into force for the Kingdom on 8 October 2026, allowing trademark owners from other Madrid System members to designate Saudi Arabia in an international application or subsequent designation. Saudi Arabia becomes the fifth Gulf Cooperation Council state to join the system, with Kuwait remaining outside it. The Kingdom has opted for an 18-month time limit for provisional refusals, subject to the Madrid Protocol’s opposition-related exception, and will apply individual fees for designations and renewals.
The practical gain lies mainly in simplifying the filing route. Brand owners will generally no longer need to begin protection through a separate Saudi national application, which can reduce the early-stage burden of preparing legalized powers of attorney and appointing local counsel solely to file. SAIP will still examine each designation under Saudi law, and a local representative may remain necessary if a provisional refusal, opposition or other domestic procedure arises. Companies planning Middle East expansion should therefore review their basic marks, goods and services wording and filing budgets before 8 October rather than treating a Madrid designation as automatic registration.
