Technological Valorization of Gum Arabic in Arab Countries: Patent Status and Prospects for Sustainable Innovation

Gum Arabic (GA) is a natural exudate mainly derived from the African Acacia plant, recognized for its exceptional properties: solubility, biocompatibility, stability, and film-forming ability. Long used in the agrifood and pharmaceutical sectors, GA is now attracting growing interest in developing multifunctional materials, such as hydrogels, nanostructures, and bioadhesive devices. This chapter proposes a cross-analysis between scientific advances in GA and regional technology, as seen through the analysis of patents filed by researchers or inventors from the Arab world. The results reveal a predominance of classic applications (binder, texturizing agent, carrier) in the food, cosmetics, and phytotherapeutic fields. Few patents explore the advanced functionalization of GA or its integration into complex devices. Only a few recent examples, notably in Morocco and Qatar, testify to an emerging orientation towards innovative applications. This panorama highlights the region’s still largely under-exploited potential for commercialization, calling for greater support for applied research, a stronger culture of patentability, and more effective structuring of technology transfers, integrating GA into new-generation bioactive platforms.