Dubai makes Intellectual Property Clinic a permanent service to support franchise readiness

Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism and the Dubai Future Foundation have made the Intellectual Property Clinic an ongoing service offering one-to-one advisory sessions to eligible Emirati entrepreneurs, following a successful pilot. The move places protection of brands and intellectual property assets at an early stage of growth planning, helping businesses prepare for investment, licensing, franchising and international expansion.

From pilot to ongoing service

According to an announcement published by Al Bayan newspaper on 9 November 2026, the clinic’s development aims to help entrepreneurs make informed decisions before starting the process of registering intellectual property rights. The service begins by understanding the business, then identifying what needs protection and setting registration priorities, rather than treating registration as a step separate from the business and its future plans.

The decision to establish an ongoing service was based on the pilot’s results, which, according to the announcement, demonstrated the effectiveness of focusing on a protection strategy before submitting registration applications. Those findings also helped shape the operating model to be used as the initiative expands to reach more eligible entrepreneurs.

The clinic forms part of the Dubai Intellectual Property Hub, launched by the Dubai Future Foundation in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism in 2024. The announcement therefore concerns the continued provision of guidance and wider access to it, rather than a new trade mark registration system or changes to franchising rules.

What do the one-to-one sessions cover?

Each session, overseen by the Dubai Future Foundation, begins with an understanding of the business, its brand and its strengths. This approach helps entrepreneurs identify valuable elements and assets that need protection before deciding on the appropriate steps.

The guidance covers trade mark classes and ownership, alongside setting priorities and identifying the next steps best suited to business growth. The focus is therefore not just on the business name, but also on distinctive assets and features that could have value as the business develops and expands.

The announcement identifies names, logos and other distinctive brand elements as assets whose protection can support opportunities for investment, licensing, franchising and exports. The clinic links these elements to the business’s actual needs, so that the protection strategy reflects the nature of the business rather than a standard checklist for every participant.

The service is aimed at eligible Emirati entrepreneurs, particularly those in the early stages of establishing their businesses. Its specific role is to provide advice and guidance before registration, helping founders understand what they should protect and the priority each asset deserves within their plans.

Clear ownership before franchise expansion

The initiative’s relevance to the franchise sector lies in the role brand ownership plays in preparing for partnerships. The announcement explains that investors and franchise partners seek to verify that brand ownership is clear before committing funds or beginning preparations for licensing.

Intellectual property protection is therefore presented not simply as an administrative task, but as part of building a commercial asset that can support growth. The sessions aim to help founders understand which elements they own, which need protection and how that protection relates to their future investment and expansion options.

For local brands considering franchising, the initiative’s value lies in bringing this discussion forward to the stage before registration. It allows founders to address questions about ownership, classes and priorities while they are still deciding how to protect their assets, rather than treating these matters separately from partnership and growth plans.

Making the clinic permanent does not amount to an announcement of new franchise opportunities or expansion agreements. The immediate outcome announced is access to an ongoing advisory service, while support for franchising and investment opportunities remains among the longer-term commercial aims of protecting intellectual property assets.

A practical step for founders and brand owners

The clinic’s continuation gives eligible entrepreneurs a starting point for organising their intellectual property affairs around their business needs. To make the most of this type of guidance, founders can begin by listing their business names, logos and distinctive features, setting out the growth plans they want to discuss, and then using the session to prioritise protection and registration issues.

For those planning to expand through franchising, useful questions include whether brand ownership is clear, which trade mark classes relate to the business and what the appropriate next steps should be. These questions fall within the announced scope of the guidance, without assuming that advice alone means registration is complete or the business is ready to enter a partnership.

Practical takeaway: Identify your brand assets and establish who owns them before accelerating expansion plans. The Intellectual Property Clinic gives eligible Emirati entrepreneurs guidance on organising this work before registration and linking it to the business’s future investment and commercial plans.