Oman marks World Intellectual Property Day

BUSINESS REPORTER
MUSCAT, APRIL 25
The Sultanate of Oman joins countries around the world in celebrating World Intellectual Property Day (WIPD), which falls on April 16 each year. The day was designated by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) to coincide with the date of the adoption of the Convention establishing the Organisation in 1970, with the aim of raising awareness and shedding light on the importance of intellectual property rights and its various fields, such as trademarks, patents, industrial designs, copyright and geographical indications.
The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion (MoCIIP) will preside over WIPD on Monday, April 27, 2026, attended by several officials and innovators in the sports sector, to highlight achievements made in recent years and the measures taken by the Sultanate of Oman to encourage innovators, protect sports innovation, enhance economic and cultural development; and stimulate investment in this vital sector.
Oman’s marking of this day comes as part of its efforts to support innovative minds and encourage scientific research in the field of intellectual property, in order to build a network of national scientific expertise in this area and to exchange knowledge and expertise on intellectual property topics across various fields.

Ghalib bin Said al Maamari, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion for Commerce and Industry, said that this year’s celebration comes under the theme ‘Intellectual Property and Sports: Get Ready, Set, Innovate’, aiming to highlight the pivotal role of intellectual property rights in protecting sports innovation, enhancing economic and cultural development; and stimulating investment in this vital sector.
He affirmed that intellectual property represents an essential partner in the development of modern sport, noting that investing in its protection is an investment in creativity, the economy and people.
He added that every sports innovation, every successful brand, every original creative content and every technology that contributes to improving performance, expanding participation, or enhancing the sporting experience deserves to be protected, supported and celebrated.
The Under-Secretary further stated that the celebration of this day serves as a practical call to continue working towards a more innovative sports ecosystem, a more efficient intellectual property environment and a future in which sport, knowledge, creativity and development are fully integrated.
QUALITATIVE ACHIEVEMENTS
Al Maamari noted that the Sultanate of Oman achieved qualitative milestones in 2025 that strengthened its position in the Global Innovation Index, advancing to 69th globally and rising to 55th in innovation inputs. He stated that these results reflect the success of the institutional approach in building an integrated national ecosystem.
He also pointed out that among the most notable achievements was the adoption of the National Intellectual Property Strategy, in cooperation with the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), in addition to the international registration of Omani frankincense as a geographical indication, making the Sultanate of Oman the first GCC country to achieve this, thereby contributing to the protection of national rights and supporting a knowledge-based economy.
SUPPORTING SPORTS CREATIVITY
Meanwhile, Nasra al Habsi, Director General of Commerce, said that this year’s theme represents an opportunity to establish a national environment that supports sports creativity based on awareness and empowerment, affirming the strong interconnection between the intellectual property protection system and the sports sector, which has become increasingly linked with technology, design and investment.
She added that the protection of intellectual property rights, including sports products and trademarks, contributes to enhancing market integrity and attracting high-quality investments, stressing the importance of spreading this culture within sports clubs and educational institutions. This, she said, helps build early awareness among youth of the importance of respecting intellectual property rights and using them to launch innovative sports projects that serve the national economy.
NATIONAL INNOVATIONS
Meanwhile, Eng Khalid bin Hamoud al Hinai, Director of the National Intellectual Property Office, explained that last year witnessed practical steps to strengthen the position of Omani products and national innovations. He noted that innovation activity in the Sultanate of Oman recorded significant growth in 2025, with 879 patent applications filed, reflecting a rising level of societal awareness of the importance of protecting research outputs.
He added that the office issued a technical guide for drafting patent applications to enable inventors to prepare their filings accurately and efficiently, emphasising the importance of promoting intellectual property culture in sports clubs and federations to ensure the protection of innovative ideas that contribute to the development of sports performance.
The WIPO affirms that modern sport has become an integrated ecosystem intersecting with technology, media and design. It highlights the importance of legal protection through patents for technologies related to performance enhancement and athlete safety, trademarks for safeguarding the identity of clubs and tournaments, copyright for protecting media content and digital broadcasting; and industrial designs for the aesthetic aspects of sports equipment.