SANTO DOMINGO — On Wednesday, Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader officially opened the 2026 Americas Investment Forum (AIF), using the high-profile opening ceremony to frame the Caribbean nation as a stable, trustworthy destination for international foreign direct investment. Speaking to an assembly of over 2,000 delegates representing 52 nations gathered for the three-day event, Abinader centered his opening address on the Dominican Republic’s core competitive advantages: consistent macroeconomic stability, binding legal certainty, robust institutional frameworks, uncompromising regulatory transparency, and clearly defined operating rules for foreign businesses.
Abinader emphasized that reciprocal trust between governments and investors is the non-negotiable foundation of sustained long-term economic growth. He used his platform to challenge the entire Americas region to rebrand itself not as a zone of untapped potential, but as a global hub that delivers tangible, measurable results for international business partners.
To back his claims, the Dominican president pointed to the nation’s recent record-breaking economic performance metrics, which include more than $5 billion in total foreign direct investment inflows recorded in 2025, an annual tourism footprint of over 11 million international visitors, and more than 200,000 formal jobs created by the country’s network of free trade zones. Abinader stressed that these headline figures do more than boost national economic statistics — they translate directly to expanded employment opportunities, accelerated domestic innovation, and broad-based improved livelihoods for Dominican people.
He also noted that the global shift toward nearshoring and corporate efforts to build more resilient, diversified supply chains have opened a once-in-a-generation economic opportunity for the Americas region, reaffirming the Dominican Republic’s commitment to acting as a strategic, reliable partner for global investors looking to expand their regional footprint.
Eduardo Sanz Lovatón, the Dominican Minister of Industry, Commerce and MSMEs, used his remarks during the opening ceremony to highlight the sweeping improvements the country has made to its investment climate in recent years, as well as its expanding role in global exports, cross-border innovation, and advanced manufacturing. Meanwhile, Biviana Riveiro Disla, Executive Director of ProDominicana, the country’s national investment and export promotion agency, outlined the forum’s core strategic goals: to deepen existing investment ties with partners in the Middle East, Asia, and Europe, while accelerating the development of high-quality, environmentally and socially sustainable investment projects across the Dominican Republic.
Running through July 3 in the capital city of Santo Domingo, the 2026 Americas Investment Forum brings together sitting government leaders, global institutional investors, and C-suite business executives from across the Western Hemisphere and beyond. Attendees will engage in three days of discussions focused on expanding cross-border investment, growing interregional trade, and scaling innovative business development across the Americas.