Abu dhabi: The Ministry of Economy and Tourism and the Emirates Nuclear Energy Company (ENEC) have partnered to enhance intellectual property (IP) and patent protection in the nuclear energy sector. This collaboration was formalized with a Memorandum of Understanding signed at the Make it in the Emirates 2026 Forum. The signing ceremony was attended by Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, and involved key figures such as Abdullah Ahmed Al Saleh, Undersecretary of the Ministry, and Mohamed Al Hammadi, Managing Director and Group CEO of ENEC.
According to Emirates News Agency, the agreement aims to foster a culture of IP protection across ENEC and its subsidiaries. This will be achieved through specialized training programs, workshops, and providing expert technical and legal consultations. Additionally, the Ministry of Economy and Tourism will offer services to accelerate ENEC's patent application processes and assist in the commercial marketing of registered patents. This initiative aligns with ENEC's mission to lead in developing nuclear intellectual capital.
Abdullah Al Saleh highlighted that the Ministry is committed to developing a comprehensive intellectual property ecosystem supported by advanced legislative and regulatory frameworks. A crucial aspect of this is the Law on the Regulation and Protection of Industrial Property Rights, which plays a vital role in protecting innovations across sectors through patent registration and safeguarding industrial designs. The Ministry's efforts are reflected in the growth of registered patents in the UAE, which reached 7,915, along with 11,346 industrial design registrations by September 2025.
Al Saleh also noted that the MoU represents a significant step towards supporting the national innovation agenda. The agreement aims to encourage creators and inventors in the nuclear energy sector to develop new solutions and innovations. It seeks to strengthen cooperation and facilitate the exchange of best practices between the Ministry and ENEC, thereby fostering a robust research and development environment in line with the UAE's vision to become a global economic hub as part of the We the UAE 2031 vision.