I. General Overview
Area: 11,521 square kilometers
Population: 3.09 million (October 2023), of which Qatari citizens account for approximately 15%. Foreign nationals primarily come from India, Pakistan, and Southeast Asian countries.
The main economic data for 2022 are as follows:
GDP: $237.995 billion
GDP per capita: US$81,800
GDP growth rate: 4%
Currency: Qatari Rial

II. Treaty Membership
1. Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property (Paris Convention)
Accession: 2000

2. Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)
Accession: 2011

Qatar has not yet joined the Madrid Agreement or the Madrid Protocol, nor has it joined the Hague Agreement. Therefore, trademarks and designs in Qatar can only be applied for directly, but patents can be applied for directly or through the PCT.

III. Trademark Application Procedure and Required Documents
1. Trademark Registrable Elements and Types
Elements that can be registered as trademarks in Qatar include: text, graphics, symbols, slogans, three-dimensional logos, color combinations, sounds, holograms, etc.
The types of trademarks that can be registered in Qatar include: trademarks, service marks, and collective trademarks.

2. Filing Routes
National filing (direct filing)

3. Required Documents
⦁ Applicant's name and address;
⦁ Clear representation of the mark;
⦁ List of goods and/or services;
⦁ Notarized power of attorney (local certification also required)
⦁ If a priority is claimed, a certified copy of the priority document and its Arabic translation need to be submitted
Remark:
a. Goods in Class 33 and alcoholic beverages in Class 32 are not eligible for registration
b. Pork products in Class 29 cannot be registered

4. Application Process
Filing: the 11th edition of the Nice Classification is adopted; multiple class applications are not allowed; the first-to-file principle is followed.
Examination: formal examination and substantive examination
Publication/Opposition: the opposition period is 60 days
Registration: It takes about 8-10 months from filing to registration (if smooth).

5. Protection Period and Renewal
The validity period is 10 years from the date of application and can be renewed for 10 years each time before expiration

6. Assignment
Only registered trademarks can be assigned, and a notarized and legalized assignment agreement and a notarized and legalized power of attorney from the assignee must be provided. The processing period is approximately 6 months.

7. Chang of Name/Address
Only registered trademarks can be changed. A notarized and legalized power of attorney and a notarized and legalized proof of change are required, and the processing period is approximately 6 months.

8. Cancellation
Non-use Cancellation: If a trademark has not been used for 5 consecutive years, any interested party may file a cancellation request for the non-used trademark.

IV. Trademark application statistics *:
A: Statistics on total trademark applications:
2020: 7,153
2021: 9,587
2022: 10,568
B: Statistics of trademark applications from China:
2020:326
2021:576
2022:461