Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – The Caribbean and Latin American nation has been formally selected to host the 2026 Americas Investment Forum (AIF), a landmark regional gathering centered on expanding cross-border investment, accelerating bilateral trade, and fostering groundbreaking innovation across the Americas. When the event opens, it is expected to draw hundreds of senior stakeholders from more than 52 nations, including senior government representatives, C-suite leaders from multinational corporations, heads of global investment promotion agencies, and executives from leading international financial institutions.
The forum is a joint collaborative production of ProDominicana, the Dominican Republic’s national trade and investment promotion body, and the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA), the global umbrella organization for investment promotion entities. Scheduled to speak at the opening ceremony are Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader alongside Harvard University Growth Lab’s prominent economist Ricardo Hausmann, a leading voice on global economic development and growth strategy.
Organizers have laid out a packed agenda spanning the multi-day event, featuring a lineup of high-profile keynote addresses, closed-door high-level policy and business panels, targeted one-on-one business matchmaking sessions, and a formal awards ceremony. During the ceremony, the 2026 Dominican Republic Investment Recognition Award will be presented to international firms that have made significant, measurable contributions to the country’s sustained economic growth and development over recent years.
In comments announcing the hosting agreement, ProDominicana Executive Director Biviana Riveiro Disla emphasized that the 2026 forum cements the Dominican Republic’s standing as the top investment destination in the entire Latin American and Caribbean region. The announcement comes on the heels of a historic year for foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country, with 2025 FDI inflows reaching a record-breaking $5.03 billion. Beyond showcasing the nation’s existing economic success, the forum will actively highlight and promote new strategic partnership and investment opportunities across high-griority, high-growth sectors. These include sustainable tourism, advanced manufacturing, utility-scale renewable energy, large-scale transportation infrastructure, integrated regional logistics, digital and creative industries, and artificial intelligence development and deployment.