1. Relations between the Dominican Republic and the UAE have continued to deepen. How would you describe the evolution of bilateral relationships, and what are the main opportunities for strengthening diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties?
The relationship between the Dominican Republic and the United Arab Emirates is advancing from mutual recognition to a more structured, forward-looking partnership. Our countries have maintained diplomatic relations for 17 years, but the last three years have brought a renewed level of political dialogue, economic engagement and institutional cooperation. President Luis Abinader’s participation in the World Governments Summit 2026, accompanied by a high-level public and private-sector delegation, was an important signal of the priority both countries attach to this relationship.
What we are discovering is a strong strategic complementarity. The UAE is a global hub linking markets, capital and innovation; the Dominican Republic is a stable, connected and growing hub at the heart of the Caribbean and the Americas. Both countries understand the value of openness, logistics, entrepreneurship and long-term national planning.
There is also a human and cultural dimension that should not be underestimated. The Dominican Republic has long benefited from the contributions of Arab communities, particularly of Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian origin, to our business, cultural and civic life. This heritage is deeply embedded in our national identity: President Luis Abinader himself is of Lebanese descent, as are many distinguished figures in both the public and private sectors who have helped shape the country’s development. We want to build on that legacy through cultural exchanges, literary translation, the promotion of merengue and bachata—both recognized by UNESCO, and a sustained dialogue on the Arab contribution to Dominican identity.
In that spirit, we have invited the UAE to participate in the future as Guest of Honour at the Santo Domingo International Book Fair. Our objective is to ensure that the political and economic relationship is accompanied by genuine mutual understanding between our peoples.
2. The World Government Summit Dialogue for Latin America and the Caribbean in Cap Cana on November 20–21 will bring together leaders and policymakers around shared global challenges and opportunities. How important is this event for strengthening the relationship between the Dominican Republic and the UAE, and what do you hope it will achieve in terms of knowledge exchange, institutional cooperation, and future bilateral partnerships?
The World Governments Summit Dialogue for Latin America and the Caribbean, to be held in Cap Cana on 20–21 November 2026, is a landmark opportunity. It positions the Dominican Republic not simply as a host, but as a bridge between the UAE, the Gulf region, Latin America and the Caribbean. The event is expected to bring together representatives from more than 30 countries, senior government officials, international organizations, business leaders and investors.
Its value lies in moving beyond dialogue for its own sake. We want the Summit to generate practical cooperation in public-sector innovation, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, institutional performance, sustainable development and investment facilitation. It can become an annual platform where governments and businesses identify shared challenges and develop solutions with measurable results.
For the Dominican Republic, the Dialogue also complements our participation in the UAE’s Government Experience Exchange Programme, or GEEP. This cooperation connects UAE experience in government innovation and service delivery with our national objective of advancing the Meta RD 2036 agenda.
Our aspiration is that Cap Cana becomes a recurring meeting point for a new relationship between the Gulf and Latin America: one based on trust, knowledge exchange, investment and concrete partnerships.
3. Trade and investment are central to this relationship. What advantages does the Dominican Republic offer UAE investors and which sectors do you believe have the greatest potential for attracting Emirati capital and business partnerships?
The Dominican Republic offers UAE investors a combination that is increasingly difficult to find: strategic location, macroeconomic stability, market access, institutional reforms and a proven capacity to attract foreign direct investment. We are the seventh-largest economy in Latin America and the Caribbean, and the country recorded US$5 billion in foreign direct investment in 2025, the fourth consecutive annual record.
Our location provides efficient access to the United States, Canada, Central America, the Caribbean, South America and Europe. Through six trade agreements and preferential arrangements, companies established in the Dominican Republic can access more than 1.2 billion consumers, including the United States and Central America, the European Union, the United Kingdom and CARICOM markets.
The most promising sectors for Emirati capital and partnerships include:
The Dominican Republic’s legal framework protects foreign investment, allows the repatriation of capital and dividends, and offers sector-specific incentives. We are also working to deepen the bilateral legal architecture, including investment-promotion and taxation instruments, which will give investors greater confidence and predictability.
4. The UAE is a major global commercial and logistics hub. How can the Dominican Republic leverage the Emirates as a gateway to Middle Eastern, African, and Asian markets, while UAE companies gain greater access to the Americas through the Dominican Republic?
The Dominican Republic and the UAE can create a two-way logistics and connectivity bridge linking the Americas with the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The value proposition is straightforward: the UAE is an extraordinary gateway eastward, while the Dominican Republic is one of the most competitive gateways westward.
This vision is reinforced by the UAE’s ambitious expansion of its aviation infrastructure. The planned enlargement of Dubai’s airports, set to nearly triple passenger capacity—along with upgrades across the country, will require sustained growth in traffic from non-traditional markets. In this context, the Dominican Republic is well positioned to support that expansion into the Americas, working closely with Emirates and other UAE carriers to develop new routes and passenger flows that connect our regions more directly.
The Dominican Republic has eight international airports, 17 cargo and cruise ports, more than 380 daily flights and 19.6 million registered passengers annually. Its ports at Caucedo and Manzanillo have Panamax capacity, while primary-zone arrangements allow companies to store, label, repackage and undertake minor transformations of goods before export or domestic distribution.
For UAE companies, this means the Dominican Republic can serve as a regional platform for distribution, light manufacturing and nearshoring into North American, Caribbean and Latin American markets. For Dominican companies, the UAE can serve as a commercial, financial and logistics platform for entering Gulf, African and Asian markets.
The presence and experience of UAE logistics companies, including DP World, already demonstrate the potential of this partnership. A notable example is the emerging collaboration between DP World and Punta Cana International Airport—the largest privately operated airport in the world—where efforts are underway to develop a combined air and logistics hub. By leveraging the strengths of Grupo Puntacana together with DP World’s global expertise, this initiative aims to position the Dominican Republic as a key node in integrated air-sea logistics chains.
Our objective is not merely to move cargo more efficiently; it is to build integrated value chains, attract industrial investment and create a reliable commercial corridor between two of the world’s most dynamic regions.
5. Tourism is another important area of potential cooperation. What opportunities do you see to attract more travelers from the UAE and wider Gulf region to the Dominican Republic, and how can the two countries strengthen tourism links?
Tourism remains one of the most natural and promising pillars for expanding bilateral ties; however, it should be approached with a broader and more strategic vision than visitor numbers alone. The Dominican Republic is the leading tourism destination in Central America and the Caribbean, and the second largest in Latin America, welcoming 11.8 million visitors by air and sea in 2025 and generating US$11.2 billion in revenues.
At present, travel between Punta Cana and Dubai requires at least one stop, with the shortest itineraries exceeding 17 hours. Strengthening air connectivity is therefore essential, whether through future direct routes, strategic code-sharing agreements, or improved links via European and North American hubs.
Beyond connectivity, we see a particularly compelling opportunity in the development of convention and business tourism. This is a segment in which the Dominican Republic is still emerging, yet one for which we are exceptionally well positioned. Our geographic location, expanding air connectivity, and sustained investment in high-quality infrastructure provide a strong foundation. When combined with the UAE’s global leadership, investment capacity, and savoir-faire in exhibitions, large-scale events, and hospitality management, this segment could become a key avenue for diversifying and upgrading our tourism offering.
The opportunity is not limited to attracting visitors from the UAE. Both countries serve as major aviation and tourism hubs. The Dominican Republic can position itself as a gateway for Gulf travellers seeking access to the Caribbean, while UAE-based carriers can facilitate connectivity for travellers from the Americas to the Gulf, Africa, and Asia.
In parallel, there is strong potential to further develop high-value tourism segments such as luxury travel, golf, marinas, wellness, weddings, sports, medical tourism, and cruise tourism. Complementing these, the Dominican Republic is well placed to establish itself as a competitive destination for international conferences, incentive travel, and business events. The UAE’s world-class expertise in conventions, exhibitions, and integrated hospitality ecosystems is particularly relevant as we advance in building this segment.
6. Several sectors offer significant potential for bilateral collaboration, including renewable energy, logistics, infrastructure, agribusiness, manufacturing, and technology. Which areas do you believe could generate the most transformative partnerships in the coming years?
Several sectors can generate transformative partnerships, but I would highlight five priorities: logistics, advanced manufacturing, renewable energy, tourism infrastructure, and technology, with particular emphasis on semiconductors as a strategic area for future collaboration.
First, logistics and nearshoring are central because they connect all other sectors. The Dominican Republic’s geographic location, modern infrastructure, and extensive network of trade agreements position it as an efficient platform for UAE companies seeking access to the Americas.
Second, our free zones represent a proven and scalable industrial base. They host more than 860 companies across over 95 industrial parks, generated US$8.6 billion in exports in 2025, and support over 200,000 jobs. In high-value sectors such as medical devices and pharmaceuticals, 40 companies are already operating, with exports reaching US$2.5 billion. These industries demonstrate our capacity to meet stringent international standards and to adapt rapidly to more sophisticated manufacturing processes.
Building on this foundation, the Dominican Republic is advancing a national strategy to enter the semiconductor value chain. While we are not positioning ourselves in capital-intensive wafer fabrication, we see significant opportunity in segments such as assembly, testing, packaging, and electronic components. Our experience in medical devices and electrical connectors provides clear evidence that our workforce can transition effectively into these activities. Moreover, a growing number of Dominican professionals are receiving technical training relevant to electronics and semiconductor-related industries.
This is an area where collaboration with the UAE could be particularly impactful. The UAE’s investment capacity, technological ambition, and savoir-faire in advanced industries can complement the Dominican Republic’s nearshoring advantages, cost competitiveness, and industrial ecosystem. Together, this creates a compelling value proposition for integrated supply chains linking the Americas with the Gulf and beyond.
Third, renewable energy offers major scope for partnership. The country had 6,516 MW of installed capacity as of September 2025, including 1,531 MW of solar and 433 MW of wind. Our target is for renewable sources to account for 30% of electricity generation by 2030, supported by a legal framework that incentivizes clean-energy investment.
Fourth, tourism and real estate remain strong investment opportunities, particularly in integrated developments that combine hospitality, marinas, residential projects, and sustainable infrastructure.
Finally, beyond semiconductors, we also seek broader collaboration in technology and electronics, leveraging our free-zone regime, human capital development, and growing digital ecosystem to attract higher value-added industries.
7. The Dominican Republic has positioned itself as a regional hub for the Caribbean and the wider Americas. How do its strategic location, infrastructure, political stability, and trade agreements strengthen its appeal to UAE companies looking to expand internationally?
The Dominican Republic’s appeal as a regional hub rests on four pillars: geography, connectivity, stability, and market access.
Geographically, we are close to the principal markets of the Americas. Miami and Panama are approximately two hours away by air, New York is about three and a half hours away, and major European destinations are accessible within eight to ten hours. This is a powerful advantage for executives, investors, cargo operators, and manufacturers serving multiple markets from one location.
In institutional terms, the country has strengthened its investment climate through reforms in customs, public-private partnerships, logistics centres, civil aviation, and investment facilitation. The One-Stop Investment Window and updated legal frameworks help investors navigate establishment procedures more efficiently.
In parallel, the bilateral legal framework between the Dominican Republic and the United Arab Emirates is entering a particularly important phase. We are in the final stages of negotiating an Agreement on the Promotion and Protection of Investments, as well as an Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation. These instruments will provide greater legal certainty, predictability, and fiscal clarity for investors on both sides. When combined with the Dominican Republic’s extensive network of trade and investment agreements with global partners, this framework significantly reinforces the attractiveness of a strategic economic relationship between our two countries.
The country also offers political, social, legal, and macroeconomic stability, and it has been the leading recipient of foreign direct investment in Central America and the Caribbean. For UAE companies, this means the Dominican Republic is not simply a promising market; it is a practical platform for regional expansion with a clear long-term development vision.
8. What role is the Dominican Embassy in Abu Dhabi playing in facilitating business relationships and investment? How are you connecting Dominican companies with UAE investors, institutions, and potential strategic partners?
The Embassy’s role is to act as a trusted bridge: connecting institutions, identifying strategic partners and helping convert interest into viable projects. Our success should be measured not by the number of meetings we hold, but by the quality and durability of the partnerships that emerge from them.
We are strengthening links between chambers of commerce, business associations, government entities and sectoral institutions in both countries. This includes memoranda of understanding between the chambers of commerce of Santo Domingo and Abu Dhabi, as well as connections between Dominican provinces and emirates, including Santiago and Ras Al Khaimah, and Puerto Plata and Sharjah.
The Embassy works closely with ProDominicana, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and MSMEs, the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Energy and Mines, the National Council of Free Zones and other relevant institutions. ProDominicana provides investors with project portfolios, market intelligence, establishment support and post-investment assistance through the Single Investment Window.
Our objective is to ensure that a UAE investor interested in the Dominican Republic can quickly find the right Dominican counterpart, receive accurate information and engage with the relevant public institutions in an organized and professional manner.
9. Beyond investment and trade, there is considerable potential for cooperation in areas such as innovation, education, culture, and renewable energy. How would you like to see the broader relationship develop beyond traditional economic ties?
A mature relationship cannot be based only on trade and investment. It must also build human capital, shared knowledge and cultural understanding. That is why education, innovation, public-sector modernization and renewable energy are central to our vision.
Through GEEP, we are already advancing exchanges in government innovation, digitalization, artificial intelligence, institutional performance and talent development. This cooperation supports the Dominican Republic’s Meta RD 2036 vision and can help us develop stronger public institutions capable of sustaining economic transformation.
Education is a personal priority. We would like to establish a framework for cooperation between Dominican and Emirati higher-education authorities and universities, with the long-term ambition of securing scholarships for Dominican students in the UAE and reciprocal opportunities for Emirati students in the Dominican Republic.
We see particular potential for collaboration with institutions such as Khalifa University in strategic fields including artificial intelligence, renewable energy, food security, advanced manufacturing and strategic minerals. The Dominican Republic has begun exploring rare-earth potential, and it is essential to develop national technical capacity before these resources are developed commercially.
The students, researchers and professionals who move between our countries will become the most durable ambassadors of this partnership.
10. Looking ahead, what are the Embassy's priorities for the next five years, and what would you like to see achieved in terms of bilateral trade, investment, tourism, and institutional cooperation between the Dominican Republic and the UAE?
Over the next five years, our priority is to consolidate the Dominican Republic and the UAE as strategic partners and complementary hubs for their respective regions.
First, we want to strengthen the institutional foundation of the relationship through regular political consultations, legal instruments that facilitate investment, and practical mechanisms for business-to-business cooperation.
Second, we aim to attract UAE investment into priority sectors: logistics, tourism, renewable energy, free-zone manufacturing, agribusiness, technology and infrastructure.
Third, we want to deepen connectivity, commercial, logistics, digital and eventually air connectivity, so that companies and people can move more easily between the Caribbean, the Americas, the Gulf, Africa and Asia.
Fourth, we will continue investing in knowledge-based cooperation through GEEP, university partnerships, technical education and innovation projects.
Our ambition is clear: that the Dominican Republic becomes the UAE’s most trusted strategic partner in the Caribbean and a leading platform for Emirati engagement with Latin America and the Americas.
11. Finally, what message would you like to share with Gulf News readers about the Dominican Republic, and why should UAE businesses, investors, and travelers be looking more closely at the opportunities the country offers?
My message to Gulf News readers is simple: the Dominican Republic is open for partnership, ready for investment and positioned for growth.
We offer much more than a world-class tourism destination. We are a stable democracy, the seventh-largest economy in Latin America and the Caribbean, a leading destination for foreign direct investment in our region, and a highly connected platform with preferential access to more than 1.2 billion consumers.
For UAE businesses, the Dominican Republic offers a gateway to the Americas. For investors, it offers opportunities in logistics, tourism, energy, real estate, agribusiness, advanced manufacturing and technology. For travellers, it offers a distinctive combination of natural beauty, hospitality, culture and high-quality tourism infrastructure.
Above all, we approach this relationship with a long-term vision. The UAE has shown the world what can be achieved through ambition, innovation and disciplined execution. The Dominican Republic is pursuing its own transformation through Meta RD 2036. Together, we can turn complementarity into a partnership that delivers prosperity, connectivity and opportunity for both our peoples.
