As of October 2025, industrial design applications may now be submitted in person at the Department in the Ministry’s main building. Applicants are required to pay the applicable official fees at the reception desks after filing their application.

The Ministry has clarified that all application forms, required documents, and the adopted classification system are now available on the official website of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

The required documents are:

• Power of attorney, legalised.
• Copy of the inventor’s ID Card, passport, or commercial register.
• Copy of the applicant’s ID Card, passport, or commercial register.
• Copy of the design figures (digital images) if the design is 2-dimensional. If the design is 3D, the copies must cover all views (no more than 25 images).
• Certified copy of the priority document (if claimed).

This development signals the activation of industrial design protection in Qatar, where previously the only option to protect a design was to publish a cautionary notice containing design details in a daily newspaper.

For more information, please contact qatar@qumsieh.com.

The revised structure applies to both domestic and foreign applicants in a strategic initiative aimed at supporting the development of Egypt’s intellectual property framework and enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of patent services.

For more information, please contact egypt@qumsieh.com.

This step reflects the growing collaboration between Saudi Arabia and the United States in the area of intellectual property (IP) as it aims to improve and mainstream IP services to support business development in both countries.

Thus, the USPTO becomes the 7th ISA designated by SAIP, which includes the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), the European Patent Office (EPO), the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS), the Egyptian Patent Office (EGPO), the Russian Federal Administration of Intellectual Property (ROSPATENT), and the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO).

For more information, please contact saudi-arabia@qumsieh.com.

PAYMENT OF ANNUITIES
Last month, the Department announced that applicants can choose not to pay the annuity fees after the third year (from the date of filing or from the international filing date if the application is a PCT-national phase application) if the patent application is still pending. Once the Patent Office issues a grant decision, the applicant must pay all overdue annuities along with the grant fees, while the remaining subsequent annuities can be paid on their respective due dates.

The new announcement confirms that the Department will not accept further annuity payments after the third year if the application is still under consideration.

PATENT FEES
The Department has announced the implementation of Ministerial Decision No. 60 for 2024, which reduces the official fees for certain services provided by the Ministry. The reduction affects services related to businesses and intellectual property rights, including patents and industrial designs.

The new rates went into force on 11 July 2024.

For more information, please contact qatar@qumsieh.com.

The Decree was published in the Official Gazette number 31(B) on 6 August 2022, where EAIP should be structured and start its operations within a year from the publication date, i.e., 6 August 2023.

EAIP will replace the General Administration of Trademarks, Industrial Designs and Models of the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade in relation to all IP matters and will fulfil its duties. It will handle all IP-related transactions and become the point of contact for applicants and agents regarding new filings, renewals, recordals, and so on.

For more information, please contact egypt@qumsieh.com.

The new rates went into effect on 22 February 2023.

For more information, please contact egypt@qumsieh.com.

As for pending patent applications and issued patents, EGPO has granted IP agents a time allowance until 28 February 2022 to add such applications into the new electronic system.

Accordingly, any patents with the 20th annuity due this year must be inserted into the new online portal.

Other application procedures and fees remain unchanged.

For more information, please contact egypt@qumsieh.com.

• Annuities/renewals
• Publications
• Recordals of assignments, mergers, license agreements, etc.
• Amendments
• Patent restoration
• Change of representative

We have been informed, however, that the Ministry is planning to withdraw this decision and reinstate the prior official fees. We shall keep you apprised if/when that occurs.

If you have any questions, please contact uae@qumsieh.com.

The PCT will also provide reduced fees of 90% offered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to Jordan.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs will deposit the accession documents with the Secretary General of WIPO, and the treaty to be signed in Geneva by the authorised permanent representative of the Kingdom.

For more information, please contact jordan@qumsieh.com.

Accordingly, there will be an exchange of practices between both patent offices, and the Egyptian Patent Office (EGPO) will host researchers from the Oman Patent Office (OPTO) for training in substantive examination of patent applications in Oman. The EGPO will also send examiners to the OPTO for training purposes. Additionally, all pending patent applications in Oman will be examined by the EGPO.

Needless to say, the EGPO is an accepted examiner at WIPO and PCT offices.

For more information or assistance you may contact our Egypt office at egypt@qumsieh.com.