Background

The United Arab Emirates has historically restricted trademark filings in Class 33 (alcoholic beverages) as a matter of public policy. This placed the UAE at odds with international filing practice and required brand owners in the beverages sector to adopt workaround strategies to secure any form of trademark coverage for affected goods.

What Has Changed

Class 33 (alcoholic beverages) is now open for trademark registration in the UAE. This change:

Removes the need for alternative filing strategies that rights holders have previously employed to obtain any trademark foothold in the UAE for alcohol-related brands.
Allows applicants to align their UAE specifications directly with international specifications, eliminating the mismatch between the UAE registration and the mark's specifications in other jurisdictions.
Opens the door for full coverage of brand portfolios in sectors, such as premium spirits, wine, and beer, that previously had no formal protection pathway in the UAE.

Practical Implications

The availability of Class 33 in the UAE creates both an opportunity and a monitoring obligation:

Portfolio review: Trademark owners in the beverages, luxury, and hospitality sectors should review their UAE trademark holdings and consider filing applications in Class 33 for marks that were previously unprotected or protected only through indirect strategies.
Conflict monitoring: The opening of this class will trigger a wave of new filings. Trademark owners should implement watch services specifically for Class 33 in the UAE, as the influx of new applications increases the risk of conflicting marks being published.
Class 33 in the broader GCC: Note that Class 33 and alcoholic goods under Class 32 remain restricted in other GCC jurisdictions including Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The UAE's change does not signal a regional shift; it is jurisdiction-specific and should not alter filing strategy in neighboring markets.

Key Takeaway

The UAE's acceptance of Class 33 is a significant development for brand owners in the beverages sector and for hospitality brands that include alcohol-related products. The change demands both proactive filing and active watching.

Contact uae@sabaip.com to discuss how to prepare.