United Arab Emirates and South Korea sign MoU

Managing IP is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Gardens, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2026

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

United Arab Emirates and South Korea sign MoU

The memorandum of understanding sets the stage for the UAE to set up a patent unit within the Ministry of Economy by the end of the year

Under the memorandum, examiners from the Korean IP Office (KIPO) will visit the UAE and help with the examination of its patents. KIPO’s examiners are expected to examine over 2,000 applications by the end of the year.

UAE patent applications undergo substantive examination, but they are not handled in-house. Rather, they are examined by the Austrian patent office.

In addition, KIPO will help the UAE establish the patent unit in the Ministry of Economy. The patent unit is expected to provide training for patent professionals in the UAE, as well as engage in information exchange programmes with international counterparts.

The memorandum was signed by UAE undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy Mohammad Ahmad Bin Abdul Aziz Al Shehi and Kim Young-min, KIPO’s commissioner.

Last year, Kim spoke with Managing IP about his plans for making intellectual property an integral part of Korea’s economic growth. Click here for the interview.

more from across site and SHARED ros bottom lb

More from across our site

The shortlist for our annual Americas Awards will be published next month, with potential winners in more than 90 categories set to be revealed
News of Nokia signing a licensing deal with a Chinese automaker and Linklaters appointing a new head of tech and IP were also among the top talking points
After five IP partners left the firm for White & Case, the IP market could yet see more laterals
The court plans to introduce a system for expert-led SEP mediation, intended to help parties come to an agreement within three sessions
Paul Chapman and Robert Lind, who are retiring from Marks & Clerk after 30-year careers, discuss workplace loyalty, client care, and why we should be optimistic but cautious about AI
Brantsandpatents is seeking to boost its expertise across key IP services in the Benelux region
Shwetasree Majumder, managing partner of Fidus Law Chambers, discusses fighting gender bias and why her firm is building a strong AI and tech expertise
Hady Khawand, founder of AÏP Genius, discusses creating an AI-powered IP platform, and why, with the law evolving faster than ever, adaptability is key
UK firm Shakespeare Martineau, which secured victory for the Triton shower brand at the Court of Appeal, explains how it navigated a tricky test regarding patent claim scopes
The firm’s managing partner said the city is an ‘exciting hub of ideas and innovation’
Gift this article