To mitigate ongoing regional logistical challenges and international courier service disruptions across the Middle East, the trademark offices of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar have introduced temporary administrative relief measures for submitting legalized Power of Attorney (POA) documents.

Under these updated guidelines, the UAE Trademark Office now permits an extendable deadline for submitting legalized POAs, while Qatar’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry allows trademark applications to proceed directly to formal examination using initial copies or formal undertakings prior to final registration.

Key Highlights & Administrative Relief Measures

These temporary procedural updates offer vital flexibility for brand owners facing consular legalization and courier transport delays:

• UAE 30-Day Extension: Applicants in the UAE can now formally request a 30-day extension beyond the standard, non-extendable 90-day deadline to submit a fully legalized POA, keeping pending trademark applications active and valid.
• Qatar Conditional Acceptance & Formal Examination: Trademark filings in Qatar can proceed to formal examination without a fully legalized POA or with a partially legalized copy, provided a formal undertaking letter is submitted committing to deliver the legalized POA prior to final registration.
• Preservation of Priority & Filing Dates: Allowing examination to proceed under an undertaking prevents priority losses and avoids costly re-filings caused by third-party consular backlogs.
• Full Legalization Chain Requirements: In Qatar, the fully legalized POA—including the mandatory Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) attestation—must still be submitted within 90 days or before the final registration certificate is issued.

Recommended Actions for Brand Owners

To keep pending and upcoming GCC trademark filings compliant, brand owners and corporate legal teams should adopt the following prosecution workflows:

Audit GCC Courier & Logistics Timelines: Continuously monitor Middle Eastern logistics routes and embassy attestation turnaround times to manage filing schedules proactively.

File Immediately Under Formal Undertakings: Secure priority filing dates in Qatar and the UAE right away by utilizing undertaking declarations while original POA documents undergo consular legalization and courier transit.

Strictly Track the 90-Day Legalization Window: Docket strict internal 90-day deadlines to ensure full legalization chains (including local MoFA attestations) are completed prior to final registration issuance.

Timely Submit UAE Grace Period Requests: Formally file for the additional 30-day POA submission extension in the UAE before the initial 90-day window expires if courier delays persist.

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