President Luis Abinader left for Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Sunday, 1 February 2026 to participate in the 2026 World Governments Summit (WGS) from 3 to 5 February.
The World Governments Summit (WGS), held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai, is supported by a mix of international organizations, governments, and corporate partners. Key partners include the IMF, World Bank (IFC), OECD and UNESCO. Major corporate, knowledge, and technology partners include PwC, EY, Accenture, Oliver Wyman, Google, Oracle, and Emirates.
The World Governments Summit visit is a follow up to the country hosting the event in Punta Cana in 2025. Previously, Abinader had attended the event in 2024 as part of his first Middle East tour, centered that time in Qatar.
The 2026 summit is under the theme “Shaping Future Governments” and is a global platform that brings together world leaders, policymakers, experts, and private sector representatives. The event focuses on exploring future trends, technological innovation, and sustainability to address universal challenges facing humanity.
During the summit, President Abinader has programmed to join high-level discussions alongside other heads of state regarding economic prosperity and emerging global opportunities. He will also hold bilateral meetings with South American presidents and representatives of the Dominican community.
The Presidency in its announcement of the trip explains that since its inception in 2013, the World Governments Summit has served as a critical hub for forging solutions in governance and technology. Abinader’s participation underscores his administration’s focus on positioning the Dominican Republic within global dialogues on innovation and future-ready public policy.
This will be the Abinader’s second visit to the Far East. His first trip was to Qatar in December 2024.
President Luis Abinader visited Qatar in December 2024. AT the time he participated in the Doha Forum and met with Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. During this visit, he inaugurated a bust of the Dominican founding father, Juan Pablo Duarte, at the embassy in Doha and signed several investment and cooperation agreements.
Investment from the Arab world into the Dominican Republic is a growing pillar of the country’s strategy to become a premier regional logistics and energy hub. These relations are primarily driven by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar, focusing on strategic infrastructure, energy security, and tourism.
United Arab Emirates (UAE) Investments
The UAE is the most significant Arab investor in the Dominican Republic, primarily through its global logistics and port powerhouse, DP World.
Port of Caucedo & Logistics Hub: DP World has operated in the Dominican Republic for over 25 years. As of late 2025/early 2026, it has invested more than US$800 million in the Port of Caucedo.
In May 2025, DP World signed a landmark US$760 million Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Dominican government. This project is split into two US$380 million phases: one to expand port capacity to 3.1 million TEUs and another to develop a 225-hectare Free Trade Zone for manufacturing and nearshoring.
Qatari Investments
Qatar’s interest in the Dominican Republic is rooted in energy security and high-end tourism, utilizing the country’s strategic location near U.S. markets.
Energy & Natural Gas: Qatar and the Dominican Republic have signed cooperation agreements exploring the possibility of Qatar becoming a primary Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) provider. This includes discussions on using Dominican territory as a storage and redistribution point for gas destined for the United States and Central America.
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Presidency
Noticias SIN
2 February 2026