Master’s Degree Awarded to Ms. Alia Mohammed Rashid Al-Kuhali in Commercial Law
Ms. Alia Mohammed Rashid Al-Kuhali was awarded a Master’s Degree in Commercial Law for her thesis titled: The Legal Regulation of Geographical Indications: A Comparative Study between Yemeni Law and International Agreements, which was submitted to the Department of Commercial Law, Faculty of Sharia and Law – Sana’a University. The MA defense was held on Thursday, April 16, 2026.
The MA Viva-voce Committee, which was formed based on a resolution issued by the Graduate Studies and Scientific Research Council, consisted of the following:
| # | Committee Members | Designation | Position |
| 1 | Prof. Abdulrahman Abdullah Al-Hammadi | Internal Examiner | Chair |
| 2 | Assoc. Prof. Abdulkhaleq Saleh Abdullah Ma’zab | Main Supervisor | Member |
| 3 | Dr. Fahd Saleh Ali Al-Khayyat | External Examiner | Member |
The thesis aimed to:
- Define the concept of geographical indications.
- Highlight the economic importance of their protection.
- Identify forms of infringement against them.
The study yielded several key findings summarized as follows:
- The Yemeni legislator has not established detailed rules for the registration of geographical indications, relying instead on the Executive Regulation of Law No. 23 of 2010.
- Geographical indications possess a unique legal nature as a collective right linked to geographic identity and the product’s collective reputation, and are not subject to transfer or assignment.
- Registration constitutes a fundamental condition for civil protection, whereas unregistered indications lack sufficient legal safeguards.
In light of these findings, the researcher recommended the following:
- Enacting a dedicated and independent law on geographical indications providing a comprehensive legal framework for rights, obligations, protection mechanisms, and penalties.
- Issuing a standalone and integrated executive regulation detailing practical implementation procedures, including registration and examination processes.
- Establishing a national register for geographical indications managed by a competent authority, incorporating an official database of protected products.
The defense session was attended by a number of academics, researchers, students, colleagues, and the researcher’s family.
