Gulf BPG at the TM Market Place Launch
2025-11-26 | Ministry of Economy and Tourism, Abu Dhabi
Gulf BPG attended the launch event for the Trademarks Platform (TM Marketplace), organized by the Ministry of Economy & Tourism. The event was held under the patronage and in the presence of H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy & Tourism, reflecting the UAE’s continued commitment to strengthening the national intellectual property ecosystem.
The launch introduced the Trademark Marketplace, an integrated digital platform that enables trademark owners to showcase and sell trademarks securely and transparently, while also allowing investors and entrepreneurs to acquire ready-made trademarks. The platform aims to accelerate market entry, encourage investment in intellectual property, and support the exchange of intangible assets as drivers of innovation and sustainable economic growth.
The event highlighted the Ministry’s efforts to enhance trademark services and promote a more efficient, accessible, and innovation-driven IP framework in the UAE. Gulf BPG’s participation underscores its ongoing engagement with national initiatives that advance trademark protection and strengthen public–private collaboration.
TM Market Place is operational from day one. The Ministry will supervise it to ensure full compliance with national and international IP laws, reinforcing transparency, rights protection, and the commercialization of intangible assets to support sustainable economic development.

The second MCBG Regional Presidents Forum
2025-11-27 | One and Only Royal Mirage, Al-Montazah Dubai.
Unilever hosted the second MCBG Regional Presidents Forum in Dubai, bringing together multinational leaders to discuss growth and innovation in the GCC market. Established in 2016, MCBG includes 59 members, over half of which are Fortune Global 500 companies.
Turki Binmoammar, MCBG Chairman, welcomed attendees and thanked Unilever for hosting. He introduced the agenda and invited Khalil Yassine, Unilever’s Head of Arabia, to give his opening speech.
Gulf BPG, represented by Vice-Chairman Isam Badwailan, introduced the organization to attendees.
The forum addressed IP protection and cross-border enforcement challenges, calling for a unified industry response. Isam encouraged MCBG members to join BPG and called for the creation of advocacy resources to support member-government engagement.
Khalil Yassine thanked attendees, reinforcing the importance of collaboration in shaping a brighter future for the region.

Gulf BPG Enforcement Training session – Dubai & Sharjah
2025-12-08 | Holiday Inn Dubai Festival City
Gulf BPG organized a training session for Dubai and Sharjah authorities, reinforcing cooperation between the public and private sectors in the fight against counterfeiting and intellectual property (IP) infringement.
Malek Hannouf, Chairman of Gulf BPG, welcomed officials representing key UAE authorities, including the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, Dubai Police, Dubai Customs, the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), Sharjah Police, and the Sharjah Department of Economic Development (SHJ DED). He expressed his appreciation for their continued efforts and cooperation, and encouraged them to share their comments and suggestions to further enhance effective collaboration.
The session was delivered through structured presentations by brand representatives, focusing on brand protection strategies, identification of counterfeit goods, and recent enforcement challenges.
In addition, the workshop featured a hands-on training exhibition, where participating brands displayed genuine and counterfeit samples and provided on-site, practical training to officials. This interactive component enabled attendees to engage directly with brand experts, enhancing real-time product authentication skills for enforcement.
A total of 27 brands participated in the workshop, delivering presentations and supporting the practical training exhibition, including:
Louis Vuitton (LV), WD-40, On, Tiffany & Co., AbbVie, Tory Burch, SHEGLAM, PUMA, Messika, Burberry, Syngenta, Kenvue, Caterpillar (CAT), Danfoss, Beiersdorf, Bvlgari, Moonbug (CoComelon), PMI, Hugo Boss, Apple, Richemont, HP, Unilever, Ford, RIMOWA, Huawei.
This initiative reflects Gulf BPG’s continued commitment to capacity building, knowledge sharing, and strengthening public-private collaboration with UAE enforcement authorities, supporting effective IP protection and enforcement across the country.

Webinar on the Design Law Treaty: Advancing Design Protection in the Region
2025-12-15 | Online via Teams
Gulf BPG, in collaboration with AIPPI UAE, EIPA and under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Economy, organized a high-level webinar focusing on the Design Law Treaty (DLT), a landmark international treaty adopted at the WIPO Riyadh Diplomatic Conference in November 2024.
The session opened with welcoming remarks from Malek Hannouf, Chairman of Gulf BPG, who emphasized the strategic importance of DLT in advancing harmonized, simplified design protection procedures at the international level. He highlighted the treaty’s relevance for brand owners, designers, and SMEs operating across multiple jurisdictions, particularly in light of the Gulf region’s growing innovation ecosystem and global engagement.
The webinar was moderated by Paul Muscat and featured Mr. Andres Izquierdo, IP Attorney and Policy Advisor, as the keynote speaker. Mr. Izquierdo provided an in-depth overview of DLT, explaining its procedural nature and its aim to standardize design registration requirements, reduce administrative burdens, lower legal costs, and promote electronic filing across jurisdictions.
Key discussions focused on:

The benefits of the DLT for Gulf brands and SMEs, including faster and more cost-effective access to design protection.
The treaty’s role in supporting creative industries such as fashion, consumer products, automotive, and packaging.
Implementation considerations for the region, including legislative alignment, e-filing infrastructure, and WIPO-led capacity building.
The treaty’s potential to position the Gulf as a regional and global hub for design protection, while maintaining necessary flexibilities for national systems.

The session concluded with an interactive discussion, reinforcing the importance of awareness and preparedness among rights holders and policymakers as countries move toward adoption and implementation of the Design Law Treaty.

Gulf BPG Participation in the Intellectual Property Sector Partners Meeting 2025
2025-12-16 | Shindagha Historical District.
Gulf BPG delegate participated in the Intellectual Property Sector Partners Meeting 2025 alongside key stakeholders and partners from the UAE intellectual property ecosystem.
The meeting served as a platform to strengthen collaboration among IP sector stakeholders, with discussions focused on enhancing cooperation, aligning efforts, and supporting the development of a robust, sustainable intellectual property framework in the UAE.
During the meeting, H.E. Dr. Abdelrahman Hassan Almuaini, Assistant Undersecretary for Intellectual Property, MoET, delivered a presentation highlighting the results of the Strategic Partners Survey, which had been shared with partners in advance. His presentation addressed key findings and outlined the main challenges identified across the IP sector.
Following this, H.E. Dr. Al Muaini facilitated an interactive brainstorming session, during which partners actively exchanged views and proposed initiatives to address these challenges and strengthen joint cooperation.
Gulf BPG’s participation underscores its continued commitment to public–private collaboration and its active role in contributing industry perspectives to initiatives that advance intellectual property protection and brand enforcement in the UAE.

Online Training session for AD DED Inspectors and AD Customs
2025-12-18
Brands: Huawei, CAT, Perkins & Beiersdorf

Online Training session for AD Customs Inspectors
2026-01-20
Brands: Puma, Van Cleef & Arpel, Cartier, Mont Blanc and Richemont

Shaping Minds: Gulf BPG’s IP Awareness Workshop at AD Polytechnic
2026-01-27 | Abu Dhabi Polytechnic University, Abu Dhabi
Gulf BPG, represented by Chairman Malek Hannouf, participated in an awareness session for students at Abu Dhabi Polytechnic, organized by the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (AD DED).
The session was highly engaging and informative, providing students with valuable insights into the fundamentals of intellectual property. Mr. Hannouf delivered a comprehensive introduction to IP concepts, with a focus on trademarks, the risks associated with counterfeit products and their impact on consumers and the market. The session concluded with remarks from a representative of the AD DED, who highlighted the importance of trademark registration and outlined the UAE’s ongoing efforts to protect consumer rights and combat counterfeit goods.
In recognition of his valuable contribution and active participation, Malek Hannouf was honoured by the university for his support in delivering this impactful session.
This initiative reflects Gulf BPG’s continued commitment to raising awareness among younger generations and promoting a culture of respect for intellectual property and consumer protection.

Online Training session for AD DED
2026-02-17
Brands: Beiersdorf & Unilever

Online Training session for AD Customs
2026-03-24
Brands: SanDisk, Beiersdorf & Hugo Boss

Online Training session for Qatar MoCI
2026-04-01
Brands: LV, Berluti, Rimowa, Unilever & Beiersdorf

Online Training session for Qatar MoCI
2026-04-08
Brands: Bio-Oil, Longchamp, International Olympic Committee & Lululemon
