Eid Al Fitr 2013

United Arab Emirates
Reports in Gulf News and The National that Federal government offices will be closed from Wednesday 7 August 2013, corresponding to Ramadan 29, and will reopen on the fourth day of the month of Shawal. If Eid Al Fitr begins on Thursday 8 August then 4 Shawal is Sunday 11 August. If Eid Al Fitr begins on Friday 9 August then 4 Shawal is Monday 12 August. A report in Gulf News that the UAE Ministry of Labour has announced that the Eid Al-Fitr holiday for the private sector will begin on the first and second days of Shawal and the private sector will resume work on the 3 Shawwal.  Shawwal will begin on either 8 or 9 August.


Saudi Arabia
News from good friends Kadasa & Partners that the last working day for the government is Thursday 1 August 2013 (bearing in mind the recent change in weekend in Saudi Arabia) and that they will re-open on Tuesday 13 August 2013.

Egypt
News from good friends, Ibrachy & Dermarker that the last working day for the government is Wednesday 7 August 2013. The Egyptian Trade Mark Office will reopen on Monday 12 August 2013.

Libya - Trade Mark Office update

Following earlier posts about the reopening of the Trade Mark Office in Libya (here) news that the flood of applications, search requests and other matters may be taking its toll as the Trade Mark Office is not issuing receipts for new applications due to the volume of applications received

This part of the Empty Quarter hopes that resources can be found to deal with the large influx of new matters as a backlog of work makes for unhappy officials, applicants and agents.

Tunisia - joining the Madrid Protocol

An announcement from WIPO yesterday (22 July 2013) that the Madrid Protocol (1989) will enter into force, with respect to the Republic of Tunisia, on October 16, 2013.

Full text of the announcement here. An always useful summary on the Afro-IP blog here.

This part of the Empty Quarter likes the Madrid Protocol as it can reduce the cost of filing in multiple countries making protection more affordable for many.

Update 30 July 2013: Information notice No. 26/2013 relating the Accession to the Madrid protocol by Tunisia is now available on the WIPO website here.