On 20 October 2026, the Saudi Council of Ministers approved four new intellectual property laws:
Patents and Utility Models Law
Designs Law
Plant Varieties Law
Layout-Designs of Integrated Circuits Law
The new legislation will replace the existing unified 2004 law, establishing separate legal frameworks for each area of protection.
Key developments
Utility models: A new utility model regime will provide protection for incremental technical innovations that may not meet the full requirements for patent protection.
Industrial designs: The new Designs Law has been aligned with the Riyadh Design Law Treaty, with the aim of simplifying and harmonising design registration procedures.
Separate legislation: Plant varieties and layout-designs of integrated circuits will each be governed by dedicated legislation.
What happens next?
The full texts of the new laws, the issuing Royal Decree and their effective date have not yet been published in the Official Gazette. Until the new legislation enters into force, the existing 2004 law and its Implementing Regulations will continue to apply, including to pending applications and registrations.
The forthcoming transitional provisions will be particularly important in determining the treatment of pending applications. Implementing regulations are also expected to clarify procedural requirements, terms of protection and official fees.
What this means for rights holders
The reforms represent a significant modernisation of Saudi Arabia’s IP framework and may create new protection and filing opportunities, particularly through the introduction of a law for utility models.
We are closely monitoring developments and will provide a further update once the official texts and implementing regulations are published, including an analysis of the practical implications for pending matters and future filing strategies.
Should you require any assistance with IP matters in Saudi Arabia, please contact us at admin@lysaght.co.uk
