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Welcome to the second edition of ECLIPSE, the intellectual property newsletter of Hadef & Partners. This covers a range of intellectual property topics from a UAE perspective which we consider may be of particular interest to local and international entities.
Regional instability and war-related events do not automatically excuse contractual performance under UAE law. Businesses must assess whether the circumstances meet the legal threshold for force majeure or exceptional circumstances. This guide outlines the distinction between the two doctrines, explains how UAE courts assess contractual disruption, and highlights key steps for managing exposure, preserving rights, and reducing commercial risk.
The term ‘souq’ (also spelled as souk, suq, or suk) is an Arabic word for an open-air marketplace or trading district where goods are bought and sold. Economic trading has been a feature of the UAE for many centuries. On a broader level, the UAE continues to be a rapidly growing economy. According to the World Intellectual Property Organisation, the UAE was ranked 30th amongst 139 economies in the Global Innovation Index 2025.
On 8 May 2025, the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism (MoE) launched the UAE’s first federal Geographical Indications registration system. This establishes a formal mechanism for the registration and protection of products whose qualities, characteristics, or reputation are inherently linked to specific geographic regions within the UAE.
The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has made it increasingly easy, and widely accessible, to create highly realistic “deepfakes”. These are manipulated images, videos, or audio recordings that convincingly replicate a particular person’s appearance or voice.
In the UAE’s drive to diversify its economy away from oil, the country has focused on establishing itself as a global player in the fields of finance, tech, and new emerging markets by capitalising on the principle of first mover advantage. The current trend neatly reflects the UAE’s goals of diversification and consolidation.
The 13th Edition of the Nice Classification came into effect on 1 January 2026. Trade mark offices worldwide have adapted their practices accordingly and, for the UAE, this took effect for all new trade mark applications filed on or after 27 January 2026.
The UAE is well known as a tourism destination for people around the world, with year on year visitor number growth from 2022 to 2025, culminating in a record 19.59 million overnight visitors in 2025. Dubai International has been the world’s busiest international airport for the past 11 years, with a record 92.3 million passengers in 2025.
The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE) has issued regulatory guidance prohibiting licensed banks and financial institutions from using consumer messaging applications, including WhatsApp, for customer-facing financial communications. Although the prohibition is directed at regulated financial institutions, its practical consequences extend considerably further. For e-commerce retailers operating in the UAE, many of whom have embedded WhatsApp into the core of their sales and customer engagement models, the implications are immediate and require careful attention.
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