The patent regulations provide fairly comprehensive legislation on the issue, registration, duration, cancellation etc, of patents in the Kingdom. Under these regulations the King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology has the sole jurisdiction to issue patents. The rights created by the patent are confined to the field of industrial activities and do not include activities conducted for the purpose of scientific research. The patent rights are valid for 15 years from the date of issue of the patent and may be renewed for another five years at the request of the patent holder. Within two years from the date of issue of the patent, the patent holder must ensure full industrial exploitation of the patent in the Kingdom. This period may be extended for a maximum of two years provided the request is based on valid reasons. The disputes pertaining to patents are within the jurisdiction of a committee established for this purpose by a resolution of the Council of Ministers.

Trademarks in the Kingdom are governed by the Trademarks Regulations. These regulations explain the procedures for registration, announcements, renewal and deletion, transfer of ownership and licensing of trademarks. In addition they define crimes and penalties regarding trademarks to protect public and private rights.

Copyrights period of protection varies and depends on the type of work. In 1997, Saudi Arabia jointed the Universal Copyright Convention and the Berne Convention on copyrights protection. This means that foreign-owned copyrights will receive the same protection under the Saudi law as the Saudi.