In Saudi Arabia, trademarks must appear in Arabic on all signboards. The mark in Latin may also be displayed but Arabic is a requirement. This means that it would be recommended to have the marks in class 35 registered in the country in the local character script. Applicants for the registration of a trademark must always take into account the language that must be used on signboards.
There are actually signboard requirements in almost all countries of our region. The following table lists the language requirements of signboards in some Arab countries. The table basically addresses the following questions:
- Is it a requirement for a trademark on signboards to appear in Arabic?
- Is it advisable for trademark owners doing business in class 35 to register the transliteration of the mark into the local script, in addition to the registration in the original script?
| Should the signboards be in Arabic by law? | Is registration in class 35 in Arabic advisable? | |
| Lebanon | No | No |
| Bahrain | No- can be in Arabic, Latin or a combination of both | No |
| Egypt | Arabic and Latin | Yes |
| Jordan | Yes- The mark in Latin can also be displayed along with the Arabic mark | Yes |
| UAE | Yes- The mark in Latin can also be displayed along with the Arabic mark | Yes |
| Oman | Yes- The mark in Latin can also be displayed along with the Arabic mark | Yes |
| Qatar | Yes- The mark in Latin can also be displayed along with the Arabic mark | Yes |
| Kuwait | No | No |
| Syria | Yes | Yes |
Should you have any questions, or require any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@sabaip.com