Riyadh, December 28, 2021, SPA -- The Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP) has designated the National Intellectual Property Administration of the People’s Republic of China as PCT ISA/IPEA under the Patent Cooperation Treaty “PCT”, allowing international patent applicants in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to select CNIPA to issue international search reports for their applications. This comes as an enhancement of cooperation between the two sides in the field of intellectual property, as this cooperation enables patent applicants to receive search reports for their PCT applications filed at SAIP and take the decision regarding entering the national phase. Thus, CNIPA becomes the 8th ISA designated by SAIP, which includes the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), the European Patent Office (EPO) the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS), the Egyptian Patent Office, the Russian Federal Administration of Intellectual Property (ROSPATENT), and the Canadian Intellectual Property Office. It is noteworthy that the partnership between the two sides has developed since the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on February 22, 2019 on the sidelines of HRH the Crown Prince visit to China. It was followed by the Patent Prosecution Highway Program which was signed on October 12, 2020, this come as a part of SAIP efforts to strengthen the collaboration and strategic partnerships in the field of intellectual property. --SPA 18:10 LOCAL TIME 15:10 GMT 0020 www.spa.gov.sa/w1671022