London, UK – A landmark annual diplomatic and commercial gathering kicked off on a recent Sunday, as the 12th iteration of Dominican Week formally opened its doors to cross-sector leaders from both the Dominican Republic and the United Kingdom. Curated as a high-level platform to reinforce longstanding bilateral connections and untap mutually beneficial investment pathways, the event is a joint initiative led by the British Chamber of Commerce of the Dominican Republic (BritChamDR) and the Dominican Republic’s diplomatic mission based in London.
The official opening reception was hosted by prominent Dominican investment group INICIA at London’s historic Travellers Club, drawing a distinguished roster of attendees spanning government, diplomacy, and industry circles. Keynote addresses during the launch ceremony were delivered by Dominican Ambassador to the UK Rosa Hernández de Grullón, BritChamDR President Ryan Polanco, and INICIA representative José Leopoldo Vicini. Additional key dignitaries in attendance included UK Ambassador to the Dominican Republic Carol van der Walt, National District Mayor of the Dominican Republic Carolina Mejía, and Oliver Ballhatchet, the UK’s Deputy Trade Commissioner for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Scheduled to run through November 5, the week-long program packs a full agenda of targeted business matchmaking sessions, industry-specific expert panels, and institutional stakeholder gatherings, with core thematic priorities centered on accelerating the energy transition, scaling green finance frameworks, advancing responsible artificial intelligence deployment, and elevating sustainable tourism collaboration. The schedule also includes coordinated participation in the globally renowned World Travel Market (WTM) London, one of the travel sector’s most influential annual trade shows, before wrapping up with the event’s signature traditional Tobacco and Rum Night hosted at the Dominican Embassy. This year’s edition builds on exceptional recent bilateral progress, as official data shows UK-Dominican Republic trade volumes hit an all-time record high in 2025, with organizers aiming to leverage that existing momentum to expand cross-border trade flows, unlock new high-value investment projects, and foster deeper cross-sector cooperation between the two nations.