Bahrain - new Implementing Regs enter force

Thanks to AGIP's newsletter for pointing out that the February 2010 Implementing Regulations to Bahrain's 2006 Design Law were brought into force on 20 October, increasing lifetime from 10 to 15 years, introducing multiple design applications (up to 50 designs) and changing the annuity fee arrangements. Background here.
Not so long ago we reported on Oman's design law. The position in the UAE is discussed on Emirates' website. Design law is obviously on the move in the Middle East, and there are plenty of design-oriented consumers in the Gulf States, so this is going to be an increasingly important territory for design right protection.
A good, detailed, tabular summary of design protection across the Middle Eastern region is in Tamimi's Patent and Design brochure, and AGIP have a country-by-country IP survey in their 2010 Handbook.