Trade Name vs Trademark in the UAE: The Difference and Why You Need Both

UAE Trademarks · Published 2026-09-19 · Updated 2026-09-19 · 1 min read

The most common misunderstanding among UAE business owners: reserving a trade name for the licence is not the same as owning the brand.

Side by side

	Trade name	Trademark
What it is	The legal name of the business on its licence	A sign that identifies goods/services in the market
Issued by	DET (Dubai), ADDED (Abu Dhabi), SEDD (Sharjah), free-zone authorities	Ministry of Economy & Tourism (federal)
Territory	That emirate / free zone	All seven emirates
Protects against	Another licence with an identical name in the same authority	Use of the same or a similar sign by anyone, in the registered classes
Cost	A few hundred dirhams with the licence	AED 6,500 per class
Duration	With the licence	10 years, renewable
Enforcement	Licensing authority complaint	MoET, DED, customs, criminal and civil courts

Same name, different emirate. A Dubai café's name is licensed by a Sharjah café. Only a trademark stops this.
Trade name owner vs trademark owner. If a third party registers your trade name as a trademark, they can generally stop you using it as a brand (though not on the licence itself). Earlier use and bad faith can be argued in opposition or cancellation, but registration wins by default.
Trademark refused because of a trade name? MoET examines against the trademark register, not trade-name registers, so an existing trade name elsewhere rarely blocks a trademark.

Run a trademark check for the name. How →
If clear, reserve the trade name and take the licence.
File the trademark the same week – the licence is a required document for companies. Documents →

Send us the brand name and what it covers for a free preliminary check and a fixed-fee quote – contact us. Official services and fees: MoET links.