Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Economy and Tourism launched today the trademark platform ‘TM Market Place’ - the first digital platform of its kind in the UAE and the region for buying and trading trademarks. This new national project enhances the innovative and competitive landscape for intellectual property (IP) and trademarks in the UAE. It aims to bring about a qualitative shift in the sector, strengthening the country’s appeal for global companies and brands.

The launch event was organised by the Ministry at its headquarters in Abu Dhabi. The event was attended by Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism; Abdullah Ahmed Al Saleh, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy and Tourism; and Dr. Abdulrahman Hassan Al Muaini, Assistant Undersecretary for the Intellectual Property Sector at the Ministry.

Bin Touq said: “TM Market Place is the result of a collaboration between the Ministry of Economy and Tourism and the UAE Government Leaders Programme. It is a unique initiative for the UAE and the region, enabling owners of trademarks registered in the UAE to list and trade their trademarks within a secure and transparent environment and connecting them with investors and entrepreneurs. It aligns with the forward-thinking leadership’s vision to foster a knowledge-based economy, develop new economic sectors, and support the competitiveness of the business environment.”

Bin Touq added: “The platform’s launch is a crucial milestone in supporting the UAE’s efforts to enable intangible business assets, allowing them to obtain fair financial valuation that reflects their true worth and economic importance. This will be achieved through showcasing trademarks within the UAE’s markets to a wide and diverse base of investors, businesspeople, and entrepreneurs from the UAE and beyond, transforming them into active economic assets. This, in turn, will contribute to increasing the market value of our companies, especially as many of the UAE companies and individuals today own legally protected trademarks that are not fully utilized commercially.”

He added: “Through this platform, we will continue to pursue numerous developmental objectives - most notably the provision of an integrated, reliable, and secure digital tool that enables trademark owners to generate returns from their registered marks by easily and safely listing or selling them, while ensuring the highest levels of transparency and rights protection. It also facilitates access for investors and entrepreneurs from around the world to ready-made or promising trademarks in the UAE, by lowering their barriers to entering the local market and shortening the time to market and business growth.”

Furthermore, Bin Touq indicated that the TM Market Place will support the expansion of SMEs and family businesses by converting the value of their trademarks into usable financial assets. It will also facilitate the trading of trademark-related intangible assets as a strategic economic resource - one that supports innovation, promotes sustainable economic development, and encourages the private sector to increase investment in brand building, R&D, and innovative products.

The Minister of Economy and Tourism explained that the platform will be operational since the day of its launch. “Through this step, we look forward to achieving a significant leap in the country’s trademark sector and increasing the market’s attractiveness to brands by up to 20 per cent within the first year of operation, along with enhancing investment in intangible assets,” he added.

The Ministry will supervise the platform, ensuring compliance with national and international intellectual property (IP) laws, leveraging unified and transparent agreements, and applying the highest standards of consumer protection. Sales and transactions on the platform will be limited to national and international trademarks registered in the UAE and in alignment with the terms of Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2021 on Trademarks. This will protect the rights of trademark owners and enhance transparency and security in all transactions made via the platform.

With regard to the buying and selling mechanism, the platform requires users to log in to ensure the security of transactions and the reliable verification of all user identities, with financial transactions completed securely and seamlessly through digital payment.

During the event, the Ministry of Economy and Tourism highlighted its efforts to develop the IP and trademark environment in collaboration with partners in the public and private sectors. This is being achieved by establishing integrated legislative and regulatory frameworks. Among the most prominent of these efforts are the issuance of the Law on Trademark and its executive regulations, the new Cabinet Resolution on trademark service fees provided by the Ministry, the development of the registration system of geographical indications (GI) for national products, and the UAE joining the Madrid Protocol.

The concerted national efforts have played a vital role in elevating the trademark industry and enhancing its growth and prosperity in the UAE market. From the beginning of January until early November 2025, the total number of national and international trademarks registered in the UAE reached 34,234. During the first half of the current year, 19,957 national and international trademarks were registered, recording a growth of 129 per cent compared to the first half of last year. Additionally, the number of national and international trademarks registered in 2024 doubled, reaching 31,537 compared to 16,712 in 2023.