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Brand Design & Identity

Visual identity, brand strategy and guidelines for companies launching or growing in the UAE, in Arabic and English.

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Overview

Brand design is deciding how your business looks, sounds and is remembered: your logo, colours, typography, tone of voice and the rules that keep them consistent. Almahira helps new and established companies in the UAE build an identity that works on signage, screens, packaging and documents.

The decision you face is how far to go. A new company may only need a strong logo and basic guidelines to launch. A business entering a crowded market, or one that has outgrown its look, usually needs strategy first: who you serve, what makes you different and how you want people to describe you. In the UAE there is an extra question: how your brand works in both Arabic and English.

We start with research and positioning, then design concepts, refine them with you and hand over files and guidelines your team and suppliers can use. Before you commit to a name or logo, we recommend checking for existing trade marks with the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism.

Key facts

Trade mark authority
UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism
Trade mark law
Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2021 on Trademarks
Trade name vs trade mark
The trade name on your licence is not a registered trade mark
International protection
Available through the Madrid Protocol, which the Ministry offers as a filing route
Languages
Arabic and English logotypes designed together, not translated afterwards
Files
Vector (SVG, PDF, AI or EPS) and PNG, with CMYK, Pantone, RGB and HEX colour values

Who it's for

New companies in the UAE
You have a trade licence, or are about to get one, and need a professional identity before you launch.
Businesses entering the region
You have an established brand elsewhere and need to adapt it for Arabic-speaking customers and the Gulf market.
Companies ready to rebrand
You have grown, merged or changed direction, and your current look no longer reflects what you do.
Product and retail brands
You need packaging and in-store design that is easy to spot on the shelf and leaves room for required label information.

What's included

  • Brand strategy and positioning
  • Logo design and visual identity
  • Bilingual Arabic and English logo and typography
  • Brand voice and key messages
  • Corporate stationery and collateral
  • Brand guidelines and design systems
  • Packaging design
  • Social media and digital templates
  • Rebranding and brand refresh

What we'll ask you for

  • Your trade licence, showing your trade name in English and Arabic
  • Any existing logo files, fonts and brand materials
  • A short brief on your business, customers and competitors
  • Examples of brands or designs you like and dislike
  • Product specifications and dielines (cutting templates) for packaging work
  • Names of the people who will approve the work

How it works

  1. Discovery

    We learn about your business, customers, competitors and plans through a workshop and short interviews.

  2. Strategy

    We define your positioning, personality and key messages, so every design choice has a clear reason behind it.

  3. Concepts

    We present a small number of distinct identity directions, shown on real uses such as signage, packaging and social posts.

  4. Refinement

    We develop your chosen direction, including the Arabic version, through agreed rounds of feedback.

  5. Guidelines and handover

    You receive final files for print and screen, and a guidelines document your team, printers and agencies can follow.

Typical timeline

A logo and core visual identity often takes several weeks; a project that includes strategy, full guidelines and packaging usually takes longer. The biggest factors are the number of feedback rounds and how many people need to approve each stage.

Common questions

Do I need an Arabic version of my logo?

Not always, but many UAE businesses benefit from one. Your trade licence already records your trade name in Arabic and English, and signage or official materials may call for Arabic, depending on the authority. An Arabic logotype should be designed alongside the English one, not added later in a standard font, so the two feel like one brand.

Will I own the logo and designs?

Yes, normally once the project is paid for. Ownership is set out in the contract before work starts, and the rights to your final logo and identity then pass to you. Licensed fonts and stock images are the exception: they stay under their own licences, and we tell you in advance if any need to be bought in your company's name.

Can you register my trade mark?

We don't register trade marks ourselves. Registration is decided by the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism, and you can apply online through the Ministry or through a registered trade mark agent or lawyer. Before you commit to a name or logo, we recommend a search for similar marks, and we supply the logo files the application needs. The trade name on your licence is not the same as a registered trade mark.

What files will I receive?

You receive your logo and identity in vector formats, such as SVG, AI or EPS and PDF, for print and scaling, plus PNG files for everyday use. Colours are specified for print (CMYK, and Pantone where needed) and for screens (RGB and HEX). The guidelines explain how to use everything, so printers and other agencies get consistent results.

Should we rebrand or refresh?

Usually a refresh, unless something fundamental has changed. A refresh keeps what people already recognise, such as your name, colours or symbol, and modernises how it is drawn and used. A full rebrand changes the identity, sometimes including the name, and makes sense after a merger, a major change of direction or a serious reputation problem. We look at what customers recognise and value before recommending either.

Can you design packaging for products sold in the UAE?

Yes. We design packaging around your product, shelf and production method, using dielines from your manufacturer. Many products sold in the UAE, food in particular, have labelling rules that include Arabic text and specific information. We leave room for these requirements, but you or your compliance adviser should check the label content before printing.

How many concepts and revisions are included?

That is agreed in the proposal, so there are no surprises. A typical project presents a few distinct directions, then refines one through set rounds of feedback. Clear feedback from a small group of decision-makers keeps the project on time; bringing in new people late usually means more rounds and a longer timeline.

How much does brand design cost?

It depends on scope rather than a set price. A logo with basic guidelines is a much smaller project than one that includes research and positioning, a bilingual Arabic and English identity, full guidelines and packaging. The number of concepts, feedback rounds and approvers also affects the cost. We quote a fixed scope in the proposal, so you know exactly what is included before work starts.

Guides on this topic

Last reviewed . Rules change often; we confirm current requirements during your consultation.

Sources

Tell us what you're planning

One short call is usually enough to recommend a jurisdiction, licence and visa route. A written quote follows.

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