From workforce training to the exploitation of patent information utilization, the Korean Intellectual Property Office will work to strengthen its links with Middle Eastern agencies to pursue collaboration in intellectual property fields. 

Recently, KIPO Commissioner Insil Lee conducted several meetings with her colleagues in the Middle East while on an official visit to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. During their discussion, Lee and Abdulla Al Saleh, the UAE’s undersecretary for the Ministry of Economy, agreed to implement a training program created by the KIPO for UAE patent examiners.

The two also pledged to strengthen their collaboration in several areas, such as assisting startups and small enterprises, incorporating AI into the patent system and educating young people about inventions.

“We expect the recent meetings with our valuable partner offices to give impetus to our endeavours to export our excellent IP administration services and promote the Korean Wave in terms of IP,” said Lee.

This initiative aligns with the KIPO’s broader efforts to strengthen ties with various nations, including the UAE. Since 2014, the UAE’s Ministry of Economy has employed 14 South Korean examiners offering high-calibre patent examination services and consulting help to enhance the nation’s IP framework.

The KIPO’s cooperative efforts since 2018 have yielded fruitful results in Saudi Arabia, where 22 Korean professionals were assigned to the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property. Notably, the KIPO assisted the SAIP in developing a comprehensive national IP strategy. This strong relationship even resulted in a senior KIPO official becoming an advisor to SAIP CEO Abdulaziz Alswailem.

During the Korea-Saudi Arabia Summit on October 22, 2023, Lee and Alswailem signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), reaffirming their commitment to enhancing their collaboration in areas such as IP finance, IP training and the use of patent information.

Further strengthening diplomatic ties, Lee met with Mohamed Hasan Al Malki, the Assistant Undersecretary for Industry Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of Qatar, on October 25, 2023; the meeting aimed to promote bilateral IP cooperation. They also planned to take steps during the conference in Qatar, focusing on setting goals, creating a national IP strategy for Qatar and creating strategic tasks for the production, protection and use of IP rights.

- Excel V. Dyquiangco