Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, the Minister of Economy and Tourism, engaged in discussions about collaboration between the UAE and various nations and global organizations focusing on fostering innovation and safeguarding intellectual property across different sectors and applications.
During the UAE delegation’s participation in the 2025 member states meetings at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva, Minister Al Marri held bilateral meetings with Lisa Li Pacosta, Estonia’s Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs; Luk Jo, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Law in Singapore; Daren Tang, the Director General of WIPO; and Elisa Rodriguez Ortiz, the Director of the Patent and Trademark Office in Spain, along with representatives from the International Trademark Association and officials from the Japan Patent Office.
In these meetings, Minister Al Marri emphasized that the UAE, guided by its wise leadership’s vision of global openness and international cooperation in various developmental sectors, continues to enhance its global partnerships in the realm of intellectual property rights protection. This effort aims to strengthen the nation’s regulatory and legislative frameworks, empowering innovators and solidifying the UAE’s position as a global hub for the new economy.
Specifically, during a conversation with Lisa Li Pacosta, the Minister from Estonia, they explored opportunities for collaboration in digitizing systems and services related to intellectual property and applying modern technologies in rights registration and examination processes. They highlighted the importance of knowledge exchange in developing digital policies that support innovation.
In his meeting with Luk Jo from Singapore, they examined best legislative and regulatory practices regarding intellectual property rights protection and discussed ways to simplify procedures and improve the business environment. This would enhance the utilization of intellectual assets to support entrepreneurs and startups.
During his discussion with Daren Tang, Director General of WIPO, they reviewed existing collaboration paths and ways to strengthen them moving forward to enhance the UAE’s intellectual property system. They stressed the importance of developing programs to build institutional and technical capacities while expanding cooperation in supporting digital transformation to empower member states in creating flexible and comprehensive intellectual property systems. Aligning legislative and regulatory frameworks with global standards was recognized as crucial for better protecting creator rights and economically leveraging them.
Furthermore, Al Marri met with Elisa Rodriguez Ortiz, where they deliberated on collaboration opportunities in industrial property areas, focusing on shared visions and enhancing experience exchange in developing relevant digital policies and services.
Al Marri also met with officials from the Japan Patent Office, where both sides shared insights on the latest technologies in protecting intellectual property rights, particularly patents, utility models, and industrial designs. They discussed leveraging modern digital solutions for improving examination and registration systems and training national personnel to build their capacity in advanced intellectual property tools.
In his discussion with representatives from the International Trademark Association, they explored ways to strengthen cooperation in trademark protection, developing regulatory frameworks that secure the rights of registered trademarks, ensuring compliance with international standards for rights enforcement, and educating trademark owners on the significance of safeguarding their assets. They also aimed to develop effective tools to combat counterfeiting and commercial fraud while enhancing the role of trademarks in supporting companies’ competitiveness and facilitating their expansion internationally.