Patents in Saudi Arabia

Patents in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are documents recognizing innovations and inventions, issued by scientific entities to enhance the scientific and research presence of scientific institutions across Saudi Arabia  and support the transfer of knowledge.

Start of care for intellectual property in Saudi Arabia

The care of intellectual property and support for creators and innovators in Saudi Arabia began in 1939, seven years after the country's unification, with the enactment of the first law, the Law of Trademarks. Following this, intellectual property expanded to various sectors, culminating in the establishment of the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property. This authority was approved by a Council of Ministers resolution in 2016 as part of the national transformation initiatives 2020. It was established on March 27, 2017, and its regulations were issued on May 29, 2018.

Law of Patents in Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP) oversees patents in Saudi Arabia, specializing in this field. A patent is an exclusive protection document granted to anyone who creates an invention, provided that this invention is new, involves an inventive step, and is industrially applicable. The protection period for a patent is twenty years from the date of filing the application.

Patents in Saudi Arabia are governed by the Law of Patents, Layout Designs of Integrated Circuits, Plant Varieties, and Industrial Designs, which was issued by Royal Decree and Council of Ministers resolution in 2004. Article Two of the Law defines invention as “an idea developed by an inventor that results in a solution for a certain problem in the field of technology.”

Development of patent and innovation regulations in Saudi Arabia

The patents, layout designs of integrated circuits, plant varieties, and industrial designs activity was transferred from King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) to the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP), in accordance with the authority’s regulatory decision. This decision stipulates that the authority oversees the regulation, support, development, sponsorship, protection, enforcement, and advancement of intellectual property in Saudi Arabia, following international best practices.

Additionally, the authority has signed three fast-track agreements (Patent Prosecution Highway) with international patent offices of South Korea (KIPO), Japan (JPO), and the United States (USPTO).

Patent applications in Saudi Arabia

The Research and Development (R&D) Sector in SAIP achieved a significant shift in patent registration. In 2015, Saudi Arabia issued 763 patents and published over 47,000 scientific papers between 2013 and 2015.

Scientific institutions in Saudi Arabia have advanced their innovation programs. In particular, King Abdullah University for Science and Technology (KAUST) has a USD20 billion endowment (approximately SAR75 billion). This has supported the creation of specialized centers and industrial partnerships, boosted patent licensing and product marketing, and attracted talent to its ten research centers.

Innovation and intellectual property activities have seen considerable growth in Saudi Arabia. In 2021, approximately 3,979 patent applications were filed, with about 1,407 of those submitted within Saudi Arabia. Additionally, 2,572 international patent applications were filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty. Industrial design applications totaled 1,400, with 853 submitted in Saudi Arabia.

The efforts of the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property have strengthened patent, industrial design, trademark, and copyright activities, leading to a surge in patent applications to 58,718 by mid-2024. Of these, 16,908 protection documents were issued. In the same year, industrial design applications reached 18,275, with 12,990 protection documents granted.

Innovation support entities in Saudi Arabia

Multiple entities are actively supporting innovation in Saudi Arabia and strengthening its scientific and technological presence across diverse fields. These include the Ministry of Energy, the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba), the Saudi Industrial Development Fund, Saudi Aramco, the Ministry of Education, the Saudi Credit and Savings Bank, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, the Saudi Inventors Association, the OQAL Group, the Business Youth Committees of the Saudi Chambers of Commerce, and the Centennial Fund.

King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) has prepared the National Plan for Science, Technology, and Innovation and the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program (NIDLP) Strategy, and provided scientific support services for universities and research centers. It has also supported innovation by developing the Industrial Innovation Center's programs and supporting and advancing business incubators, accelerators, and the Industry 4.0 program.

Saudi Arabia's position in the Arab patent rankings

The surge in research activity, coupled with strong support for innovation and talents, has driven growth in patent registrations in Saudi Arabia. In 2017, Saudi Arabia led the Arab world combined in patent filings, with Saudi men and women registering 664 patents, up from 409 in 2015 and 517 in 2016. This upward trend continued, reaching 1,746 patents by 2021.

The number of patents registered in Saudi Arabia in 2017 set a record, largely exceeding the combined total of patents registered in ten other Arab countries. While Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Sudan, Yemen, and Jordan collectively registered 137 patents, Saudi Arabia alone registered 664 patents.

Saudi Arabia's position in the global patent rankings

Saudi Arabia's patent registration figures are aligned with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Saudi Arabia secured twenty-third place globally in 2017 for the number of registered patents among ninety-two countries. Saudi Vision 2030 has placed an emphasis on innovation and invention, actively supporting efforts to transform these innovations into practical, real-world products by investing in them and attracting both local and international manufacturers.

This commitment has motivated scientific and research institutions in Saudi Arabia to advance their development and secure top positions among the world’s leading universities. Notably, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals ranked among the top ten universities worldwide for the number of patents granted by the USPTO, with 183 patents in 2017, surpassing prestigious institutions such as Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and the California Institute of Technology. In 2021, the university maintained its strong global standing, ranking twenty-fifth with ninety-one patents.

Saudi universities' advancement in global rankings

Academic institutions have made strides in global patent rankings. For example, King Abdulaziz University rose to thirty-third place among the top one hundred universities worldwide in 2020 for patent registrations with the USPTO, having filed seventy-one patents, a surge of over 200 percent compared to 2019. In 2009, the university debuted on the list in eighty-second place with thirty-four patents. By 2021, it had climbed to fourth place among the top one hundred universities globally with around 187 patents.

King Saud University has also made progress in patent filing, reaching a total of 715 patents by 2015, which includes 420 granted patents, 131 published patent applications, and 164 filed patent applications. In 2021, it ranked sixty-eighth globally, registering forty patents.

In 2018, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals achieved fourth place globally in terms of patents registered in the US in the annual ranking of universities by the US National Academy of Inventors and Intellectual Property Owners. The university has also made strides in innovation. While it held only five patents in 2005, by 2018 it had amassed more than one thousand patents, placing it among the top four universities worldwide in terms of patent numbers.

Patents in Saudi companies

Large companies have made progress in the fields of innovation and technology. At Saudi Aramco, investments in technology and knowledge have fueled a rise in intellectual property, with patent counts growing from 175 in 2016 to 233 in 2017.

By 2019, Saudi Aramco had secured roughly 524 patents from the USPTO. This figure climbed to 683 in 2020, then 864 in 2021, and reached a record of 966 patents in 2022.

Similarly, the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) has fostered technology and innovation through a comprehensive system of technology and innovation centers across five geographic regions: the US, Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, and North Asia. SABIC's global technology and application centers develop over ninety-five new products each year and hold more than 11,070 international patents. The Research, Innovation, and Desalination Technologies Institute at the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) filed twenty-one patent applications between 2022 and mid-2023.