The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) have launched an Intellectual Property (IP) Clinic as an ongoing service to help Emirati entrepreneurs identify and protect their brands and other intellectual property assets.
The initiative follows a successful pilot phase and will offer eligible Emirati founders one-to-one advisory sessions to help them understand which aspects of their businesses may require protection and prioritise their initial trademark registration steps.
The DFF-led clinics will guide entrepreneurs on protecting brand names, logos and other identifiers, while helping them understand trademark classifications, ownership considerations and the next steps in the registration process.
The strategy-first approach aims to help founders treat intellectual property as a commercial asset that can support investment, licensing, franchising and international expansion.
Ahmad Al Room Almheiri, CEO of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Dubai SME), part of DET, said: “For many entrepreneurs, some of the most valuable assets they create are intangible; their brand, identity and the ideas that differentiate their business. Protecting those assets early can become an important foundation for growth. Through the IP Clinic, we are helping Emirati founders move from awareness to action: understanding what they have created, what may be worth protecting and how stronger ownership can support investment, franchising and expansion. This practical capability-building supports Dubai Economic Agenda, D33’s ambition to develop competitive national SMEs that can scale from Dubai into global markets.”
Khalifa Al Qama, Chief of Research, Development and Innovation at DFF, said: “The strongest intellectual property strategies for new businesses begin before an application is even filed. They start with understanding what makes the business distinctive and where its future value may lie. The IP Clinic gives Emirati founders a focused, one-to-one environment to make informed decisions early and translate them into practical next steps, creating the foundations for longer term success and growth.”
The clinic will complement existing federal intellectual property registration processes by providing advisory support before entrepreneurs submit applications.
The initiative is part of the Dubai IP Hub, launched in 2024 by DFF and the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism. It also supports the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, which aims to double the size of Dubai’s economy by 2033 and strengthen its position as an international hub for small and medium enterprises.
