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Saudi Arabia Leads Arab World in Innovation | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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GE works with the Kingdom to incubate local innovation through the GE Innovation Center.- GE


Riyadh- Francis Gurry, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) said that Saudi Arabia is a model in committing to agreements on intellectual property, applauding the Kingdom’s efforts and cooperation in this field.

The Kingdom ranked third on the innovation index and introduced 763 inventions and 869 industrial samples to the world in 2015. Gurry also stressed the importance of trademark registration, which reached six million with two million among them are from China.

The WIPO’s Director General noted that the intellectual property’s framework is very wide comprising patents, industrial samples, industrial schemes, trademarks, commercial names, commercial addresses and composition in all its types. He stressed on the importance of small and medium establishments like trademarks, patents, and copyrights.

Gurry asserted that the significance of this field extends to include industrial samples, commercial secrets, and forecasted revenues which contribute to the national growth of the company, its expansion and protection in global markets considering that these markets help people to cut distances short and adopt best means to achieve their wealth.

These words came during his meeting with the Saudi Arabia Business Sector recently organized by the Council of Saudi Chambers (CSC) during which he added that intellectual property represents the cornerstone of economic growth in all fields and sectors as it drives advancement, development, change, and continuous update in communities.

Omar Bahlaiwa, secretary general of Committee of International Trade (CIT) in the council told Asharq Al-Awsat that after it has joined the World Trade Organization in 1982, Saudi Arabia has nurtured a myriad of talents, ideas, and innovations that can contribute to maximizing local production and developing the national economy according to the Saudi View 2030. He continued with saying that many governmental and private academic institutions in the Kingdom foster talented generations with great ideas that create hundreds of inventions that remarkably help in promoting the competitiveness of national products until they mark their print in global markets.

Bahlaiwa added that protecting intellectual property in the Kingdom is crucial because it protects small merchants and individuals or institutions introducing ideas and inventions that enhance commercial flows and achieve sustainable growth, especially that the Saudi Vision 2030 is the gate of innovation for local products and national economy. He considered that neglecting this protection will obstruct transfer of ideas from a country to

another and the adoption of globalization principles including franchise and global marks to promote small and medium projects.

An official in the Council of Saudi Chambers lauded the Kingdom’s advancement in this field through its interest in maintaining intellectual property rights by implementing international agreements and treaties in addition to finding the suitable environment for it and building an economy based on knowledge and protection of acquired rights as part of the Kingdom’s vision 2030 seeking to enhance competitiveness.

The official stressed on the importance of setting a joint understanding among all concerned authorities through continuous communication to reach best means to save intellectual property rights by enhancing cooperation and integration ties.

Tarek al-Haidari, head of for the Committee for International Trade (CIT) for the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry said that there are many government support programs on innovation including the industrial development fund, Masar Program to support innovation in the social development bank, Saudi Venture Capital, Public Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises, Saudi Foundation for Inventors, Badir Program for Technology Incubators. He added that Aramco is preparing a promising program to support and fund innovators along with Sabic Prize for Innovations and Almarai Prize.