1. The Santiago Chamber of Commerce and Production has a history spanning more than a century. How did it originate, and what role does it play today in supporting the business community?
Luis Campos: The Chamber emerged in 1914 from a need identified by tobacco producers in Santiago. During the First World War, international markets contracted, affecting the tobacco sector and the wider regional economy. Business leaders came together to establish an organization that could help the business community of Santiago and the North Region overcome these challenges. That was the beginning of what is now the Santiago Chamber of Commerce and Production.
Over the decades, the Chamber has evolved progressively into one of the strongest business associations in the Dominican Republic. Our mission is to support local commerce, industry and regional production through modernization, business diagnostics and assistance to companies. One of our priorities is reducing informality by helping businesses understand the benefits of operating within the formal economy.
We also believe that strengthening exports is essential to national prosperity. A country that exports successfully can generate wealth, improve well-being and better meet its population’s needs. Two years ago, we established PROCIBAO, a dedicated initiative to help small and medium-sized enterprises develop their export capabilities, identify international opportunities and bring their products to foreign markets.
This is particularly important in the Dominican Republic, where micro, small and medium-sized enterprises account for approximately 85% of the business landscape. Many of these companies do not have the same resources, business education or international experience as larger corporations. The Chamber therefore acts as a partner, helping them professionalize and grow.
Another major initiative is Expo Cibao, our multisectoral trade fair, which will celebrate its 40th edition in 2027. It has become the largest fair of its kind in the country and one of the leading business exhibitions in the region. It provides companies with a platform to showcase their products, services, brands and innovations.
We also offer business-growth services that diagnose vulnerabilities in areas such as legal compliance, taxation and finance, and help companies address these challenges as they transition towards more modern and competitive business models.
2. How has the Chamber adapted to changing economic conditions throughout its history?
Fernando Puig: The Chamber is now 112 years old, and one of its greatest strengths has been its ability to renew itself and adapt to the times. It was founded during the First World War to help regional products find markets at a time when commercialization had become difficult.
Within just a few years of its establishment, the Chamber was organizing trade exhibitions, including events that brought together participants from across the Antilles, such as Cuba and Puerto Rico. These initiatives helped showcase Dominican products and encourage regional commerce.
The Chamber also played an important role in subsequent decades. During the Trujillo dictatorship, its activities were more limited because the regime intervened in institutions throughout the country. Following the end of the dictatorship, however, the Chamber actively contributed to the creation and development of institutions that have helped transform Santiago and the Cibao region.
Expo Cibao, launched in 1988, is one example of this long-term commitment to business development. Today, our membership reflects the country's business structure: a large majority of micro and small enterprises, alongside medium-sized businesses and a smaller proportion of large companies.
The Chamber also has an important institutional responsibility delegated by the State: administering the Mercantile Registry, which provides the official registration of businesses. In Santiago province alone, more than 40,000 companies are registered, reflecting the scale and diversity of the local economy.
3. Cibao is the country's second economic engine, with a regional GDP exceeding that of several Central American economies. What explains this economic strength, and what role does Santiago play as a commercial and productive capital?
Luis Campos: There is a well-known expression: “As Santiago goes, Cibao goes, and as Cibao goes, the country goes.” It reflects the importance of Santiago's economic performance to the Dominican Republic as a whole.
When the Trujillo dictatorship ended in 1961, the country faced a significant institutional and productive vacuum. Economic structures, supply chains and development strategies had been heavily centralized. Santiago, however, had a business community that was already concerned with education, planning and long-term development.
In the early 1960s, young Dominicans who had studied in the United States returned home and joined local business leaders to develop new initiatives. This led to the creation of the Association for the Development of Santiago, known as APEDI. That organization became the seed from which numerous institutions emerged, including commercial banks, savings and loan associations, universities and agricultural development organizations.
These initiatives created a culture of progress, planning and private-sector leadership. As government investment in the region remained relatively limited, local entrepreneurs increasingly took responsibility for developing the economy themselves.
They established the Santiago Free Trade Zone, expanded local and regional agribusiness, and contributed to the growth of the real estate sector. This helped position Santiago as a major industrial and productive center.
Economic development also generated demand for better connectivity, healthcare and commercial infrastructure. Private investment contributed to airport development, hospital capacity and the expansion of commercial and industrial facilities. More recently, significant public investment has reinforced this progress.
Today, Santiago is evolving beyond its traditional industrial role into a diversified economic center. Tourism is growing through meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE), healthcare, religious activities, gastronomy and sports. Santiago has also demonstrated its capacity to host international sporting events, including FIFA youth football competitions.
Our ambition is to see Santiago develop into a metropolitan reference point not only for the Dominican Republic but also for the Caribbean and Central America.
4. What distinguishes the entrepreneurial culture of Santiago and Cibao from that of other parts of the country?
Fernando Puig: The region's business culture has deep historical roots. Researchers and sociologists have identified differences in the traditional economic structures of the Dominican Republic's regions.
In the south, logging historically developed around more hierarchical structures. In the east, cattle ranching was associated with large estates and similarly concentrated ownership. In Cibao, however, tobacco cultivation was generally based on smaller properties and smaller entrepreneurs.
This created a more horizontal business culture, characterized by collaboration, commercial openness and teamwork. The region's historical participation in trade also encouraged entrepreneurs to look beyond their immediate surroundings.
These traditions help explain why Santiago's business community has consistently taken the initiative in establishing universities, airports, hospitals and other institutions that support regional development. This combination of entrepreneurial spirit, cooperation and investment continues to underpin Cibao's economic momentum.
5. Expo Cibao is the region's leading multisectoral exhibition. How has it evolved, and what does it contribute to innovation, entrepreneurship and the wider Dominican economy?
Luis Campos: Expo Cibao has undergone a remarkable evolution over its nearly four decades of existence. It began modestly at the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra before moving between different venues in Santiago, including municipal facilities and the La Barranquita sports complex. It eventually returned to the area surrounding the Monument to the Heroes of the Restoration and the city's cultural facilities.
For approximately the past decade, the fair has been held at the former Santiago airport, now known as Santiago Central Park. This location offers the space and accessibility needed to accommodate the event's growing scale.
Expo Cibao has become a showcase that the public anticipates every year. Visitors can discover new products, brands, services, technologies and commercial offers over five days. The programme also includes musical performances, culinary activities and family-oriented attractions, making it a broader celebration of the region's productive identity.
Another important part of the Chamber's work is our Youth Committee, which has grown to more than 180 members. Established to give young entrepreneurs a space to develop their ideas and leadership, it has become an active platform for promoting entrepreneurship.
One of its initiatives is the Boulevard of Entrepreneurs. The committee invites young people to submit business proposals, selects promising candidates and provides winners with exhibition spaces at Expo Cibao. This allows emerging entrepreneurs to present their products directly to the public.
We have seen excellent businesses emerge from this initiative. We are also developing testimonials and promotional content featuring successful young entrepreneurs, so that others can see real examples of people who have built businesses in the Dominican Republic and understand that they can follow a similar path.
The Chamber also has a social responsibility foundation, Fundación Por Ti, which carries out its own community initiatives and supports member companies in their corporate social responsibility activities.
6. What scale has Expo Cibao achieved, and how has it helped companies grow?
Luis Campos: Expo Cibao is widely recognized as the largest multisectoral trade fair in the Dominican Republic. It brings together more than 300 exhibition modules and close to 200 participating companies each year, attracting over 200,000 visitors during its five days.
The fair generates an estimated US$4 million in commercial activity, although the precise volume varies by edition. Its significance extends beyond immediate sales: it offers companies visibility, enables them to connect with consumers and helps new businesses establish themselves.
Fernando Puig: Expo Cibao has served as a launching platform for many companies that are now nationally recognized. It has consistently supported entrepreneurship and the emergence of new businesses.
Over time, it has also become an important direct-marketing platform, particularly for business-to-consumer (B2C) activity. Its established reputation, however, made it important for us to develop a complementary initiative with a stronger international orientation.
That is why Pro-Cibao emerged as a natural extension of Expo Cibao, with a focus on exports, investment and international business connections.
7. Pro-Cibao aims to connect Dominican companies with international buyers and investors. How does the initiative work, and what results has it achieved in connecting the region with markets such as North America, Europe and the Gulf?
Luis Campos: Pro-Cibao was created to address two distinct needs. Expo Cibao is primarily a domestic showcase, while Pro-Cibao is designed to facilitate international trade and investment.
The initiative was developed with support from ProDominicana, the Dominican Republic's export and investment promotion agency. At its initial launch, we brought together approximately 12 to 15 international buyers with Dominican exporters. The event generated around 40 to 50 business interactions, with potential transactions initially estimated at less than US$10 million and subsequently reported at approximately US$20 million.
By the second edition, we had improved the organization, strengthened our international outreach and gained valuable experience. We welcomed around 40 international buyers and facilitated more than 150 interactions between buyers and local suppliers, generating an estimated US$48 million in potential business.
These results demonstrate that the model is viable, productive and growing. Promoting exports is central to the Chamber's mission, and we intend to continue expanding this initiative.
Internationalization also requires building relationships with organizations abroad. We have pursued cooperation with NSA (National Supermarket Association), a supermarket association in New York and participated in the work of the Ibero-American Association of Chambers of Commerce (AICO). We are also developing connections through international business forums and initiatives involving other markets.
The Gulf is particularly interesting to us. We see opportunities to connect Dominican producers with buyers in the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf countries. We have signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ras Al Khaimah Chamber of Commerce, and we are working to identify areas of mutual interest and facilitate future exchanges.
Our objective is to create lasting commercial relationships that allow companies in Santiago, Cibao and the wider Dominican Republic to access new markets.
8. How does Pro-Cibao fit into the Chamber's long-term strategy?
Fernando Puig: PROCIBAO represents an important part of the Chamber's future and that of the Cibao region. Small, open economies such as the Dominican Republic cannot rely exclusively on domestic consumption. Expanding exports generates foreign currency, while attracting investment encourages the creation of companies and adds value to local production.
Pro-Cibao is a business-to-business (B2B) platform aimed at a more targeted audience of international buyers, investors and commercial partners. It covers the diversity of sectors operating in Santiago and throughout Cibao, helping them identify opportunities and establish connections.
It also creates opportunities to reach the Dominican diaspora, which remains an important market for domestic products. Many Dominican products are already finding customers abroad, not only among Dominicans but also among other communities.
Cassava bread, known locally as casabe, is a good example. For many years, producers mainly served domestic consumers and the Dominican diaspora in the United States. More recently, demand has expanded as consumers outside the Dominican community have discovered the product.
This growth has created a challenge: production capacity has not always kept pace with demand. We are therefore working to help businesses prepare for expanding markets, improve their productive capacity and take advantage of new export opportunities.
The broader lesson is that internationalization can open markets that producers might not previously have considered. Pro-Cibao helps create the connections needed to turn that potential into commercial opportunities.
9. Informality remains a challenge for the Dominican economy, while competition is intensifying in the domestic market. What is the Chamber doing to encourage formalization, improve competitiveness and promote the structural reforms businesses need?
Luis Campos: We have explored many ways to encourage formalization, but the issue remains complex. Some businesses operate informally because of misinformation, uncertainty or fear about what becoming formal will mean for them.
The first concern is often taxation. Many entrepreneurs do not fully understand the tax system or the benefits that formalization can bring, both to their businesses and to the country. We need better tax education to help them understand their obligations and how a properly structured business can grow.
The second issue is social security. Formalization brings workers into a system that provides access to healthcare and pensions. These protections are important for employees and contribute to a more stable and productive economy.
Informality also creates unfair competition. A business operating outside the formal system may be able to offer lower prices because it does not bear the same costs as a compliant company. This disadvantages businesses that follow the rules and invest in their employees.
We have also seen difficulties in certain market segments where commercial practices do not always create a level playing field.
For more than 20 years, the Chamber has worked alongside the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and MSMEs to encourage business creation and formalization. We are currently supporting the government's initiative to help entrepreneurs create a company in 24 hours.
However, I believe we must reassess our approach. If a strategy does not produce the desired results after many years, we need to change it.
Rather than simply asking informal businesses to formalize, we should consider approaching them directly, understanding their concerns and explaining the advantages in practical terms. The experience of the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce, which visited informal businesses and explained the benefits of formalization, offers a useful example.
Formalization requires a coordinated effort between the public and private sectors, with more accessible procedures, better education and a clearer demonstration of the value that formal businesses receive in return for complying with their obligations.
10. How does the Chamber contribute to these efforts through its institutional work?
Fernando Puig: Formalization and competitiveness are among the Chamber's main priorities. We help shape public opinion, propose measures and conduct regular surveys to understand the concerns of our members.
We also work closely with legislators and Congress, supporting or opposing proposed legislation according to its likely impact on commercial and productive development.
Beyond legislation, we cooperate with other local institutions to strengthen the region's competitiveness through training, workforce development and the identification of programmes that can improve business capabilities.
This is essential to maintaining Santiago's attractiveness as an investment destination. Competitiveness depends not only on operating costs but also on workforce quality, productivity and social and economic stability.
The Free Trade Zone sector illustrates this point. We may not always offer the lowest prices, but investors also consider the frequency of operational disruptions, the reliability and productivity of the workforce, and the value added by local operations.
When these factors are considered together, the Dominican Republic can offer a compelling proposition even when it is not the cheapest location. Our objective is to strengthen that value proposition through training, institutional cooperation and a more competitive business environment.
11. The Chamber operates a centre for alternative dispute resolution. How does this mechanism help companies and investors gain greater legal certainty, resolve commercial conflicts and protect their interests?
Luis Campos: Arbitration is widely used in developed economies, and efforts have been made for many years to expand its use in the Dominican Republic.
Ordinary courts can involve lengthy procedures and practical obstacles. In commercial disputes, businesses often need a solution that is faster, more specialized and more predictable.
Alternative dispute resolution offers that possibility. When two companies include an arbitration clause in their contracts, they can agree to bring a dispute before a specialized tribunal rather than relying exclusively on ordinary judicial proceedings. Qualified arbitrators examine the matter and help the parties reach a resolution or issue a decision within the applicable framework.
However, arbitration has developed relatively slowly in the Dominican Republic. Traditionally, many lawyers were unfamiliar with these mechanisms, while others preferred to retain direct control over the litigation strategy. As universities increasingly introduce arbitration into legal education, we expect younger generations of lawyers to become more familiar with its benefits.
Greater awareness among businesses and legal professionals will be essential to making alternative dispute resolution a more widely used instrument.
12. What makes these mechanisms particularly valuable for investors and businesses operating internationally?
Fernando Puig: Mediation, conciliation and arbitration have been gaining ground gradually but consistently. They provide businesses with different ways to manage conflicts and protect commercial relationships.
The Dominican Republic has a legal framework under which Chambers of Commerce can establish arbitration institutions. Santiago is home to one of the country's three principal institutions of this kind, alongside those in Santo Domingo and Puerto Plata. The Santiago institution is the country's second most active.
The principal advantage is predictability. Businesses can establish a framework for resolving disputes, with greater clarity regarding the procedure, timing and costs. Proceedings can also remain confidential, which is particularly important when companies want to avoid publicly disclosing sensitive commercial disagreements.
These mechanisms can be useful in a variety of sectors, including professional sports. In Santiago, for example, arbitration has been relevant to disputes involving baseball prospects and their contractual relationships.
Our Chamber also participates actively in the Inter-American Commercial Arbitration Commission, known as CIAC, through which professionals exchange knowledge, discuss cases and develop expertise in international commercial arbitration.
We have international arbitration specialists within our professional network and governing structures. This international dimension strengthens our ability to support companies involved in cross-border commercial relationships.
For foreign investors, having access to established mechanisms for resolving disputes is an important element of confidence. It demonstrates that the region's business institutions are developing alongside the needs of an increasingly international economy.
13. Santiago and Cibao have a diversified productive base spanning manufacturing, agribusiness, industry and services. Which sectors offer the greatest potential for growth and investment over the coming years?
Luis Campos: I would highlight two sectors in particular: services and Free Trade Zones.
First, services will benefit significantly from improvements in connectivity. Santiago's airport is undergoing a major expansion that is expected to increase its annual passenger capacity from approximately two million to around six million once completed.
This expansion is supported by studies of its potential economic impact and consultations with airlines and emerging markets interested in establishing or expanding connections with Santiago. It should open new opportunities for tourism, healthcare, education, financial services and technology.
Road infrastructure will also be important. Planned improvements, including the proposed Ámbar highway, should strengthen Santiago's connections with other parts of the country and help position the city as a regional services hub.
Second, the Free Trade Zone sector has considerable room for growth. Santiago was one of the early locations for Free Trade Zone development in the Dominican Republic, alongside La Romana and San Pedro de Macorís, beginning in the 1970s.
Today, the Cibao region accounts for a substantial share of the country's Free Trade Zone activity. Improved road connections and the development of the port of Manzanillo should further strengthen its appeal to international investors.
The sector can expand beyond traditional activities such as textiles into higher-value industries, including microchips, aircraft components and medical equipment. The region's geographic position, workforce and socioeconomic stability offer important advantages.
For me, services and Free Trade Zones will be two major engines of Santiago's economic development.
14. Which additional sectors should international investors consider?
Fernando Puig: The region's diversity is one of its greatest strengths. In addition to services and Free Trade Zones, I would emphasize logistics, transportation and tourism.
Logistics encompasses the commercialization and movement of goods through both air and maritime connections. As connectivity improves, Santiago and Cibao will be better positioned to support regional and international supply chains.
Tourism also has significant potential, particularly convention tourism, sports tourism and religious tourism. These activities complement traditional sectors that are already well established, including manufacturing, agribusiness and construction.
Agribusinesses and mining are part of the wider Cibao economy, although much of that activity takes place outside Santiago itself.
Ultimately, the combination of established industries and emerging sectors creates a diversified investment proposition. Investors can find opportunities across different stages of economic development rather than relying on a single industry.
15. Talent and innovation are essential to international competitiveness. How does the Chamber support human capital development, entrepreneurship and access to business training?
Luis Campos: The Chamber operates a business training centre known as FOREM (Formación Empresarial). Through this centre, we provide opportunities for professional development and help companies strengthen their capabilities in areas such as taxation, finance, law and business management.
We work closely with INFOTEP, the Dominican institution responsible for technical and professional training, while also developing our own programmes and diploma courses tailored to the needs of the business community.
Santiago is an important academic centre, with universities including the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra, Universidad UTESA, Universidad ISA and Universidad Abierta para Adultos, among other institutions. This academic ecosystem contributes to the development of the human capital that businesses need.
Entrepreneurship is another central element of our work. Through our Youth Committee, business-growth services, training programmes and Expo Cibao initiatives, we encourage people to develop their ideas and turn them into sustainable enterprises.
Our role is to help companies improve their management, strengthen their workforce and become more competitive. We believe that investing in talent is essential to the long-term development of the region.
16. How does the Chamber connect businesses with public-sector training and support programmes?
Fernando Puig: In addition to the initiatives Luis has described, we act as an intermediary between companies and relevant government programmes.
The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and MSMEs is an important institutional partner. We help communicate the available programmes, identify opportunities relevant to specific sectors and connect businesses with the resources that can support their development.
This intermediary role is particularly important for small and medium-sized enterprises, which may not always know where to find the assistance they need.
By serving as a link between companies, training institutions and the State, the Chamber helps ensure that support programmes reach their intended beneficiaries and contribute to the competitiveness of the regional economy.
17. This special report is being published in connection with the World Governments Summit in Dubai in February 2027. What opportunities do Santiago and Cibao offer to connect their companies and products with investors and markets in the Gulf?
Luis Campos: I believe there is considerable potential. The Dominican Republic produces a wide range of goods and services that could be attractive to consumers and businesses in the Middle East. At the same time, Gulf investors are looking for new markets in which to develop commercial partnerships, industrial projects and investment opportunities.
There is a natural complementarity between our economies. The Dominican Republic can offer products, productive capacity and access to markets across the Caribbean and the Americas, while Gulf countries have experience and investment capabilities in sectors such as energy, tourism, construction, innovation and industry.
Our geographic position is another advantage. Companies establishing operations in the Dominican Republic can use the country as a platform for reaching other markets in Central America and Latin America.
We therefore see opportunities for partnerships that go beyond the exchange of goods. These could include joint ventures, investment in productive facilities, technology transfer and cooperation in sectors where our economies complement one another.
18. What practical steps are being taken to develop these relationships?
Fernando Puig: Our memorandum of understanding with the Ras Al Khaimah Chamber of Commerce is an important first step.
We are working to exchange information, understand each other's economic priorities and identify sectors in which trade and investment could be mutually beneficial.
At this stage, we are deepening our knowledge of the opportunities available on both sides. The objective is to move from general interest to concrete commercial relationships, identifying specific products, investment projects and potential partners.
We hope this process will continue steadily and ultimately lead to tangible exchanges between companies in Cibao and the Gulf.
International cooperation is a long-term process, but establishing direct institutional links gives businesses a stronger foundation from which to explore new markets.
19. Finally, what message would you like to convey to Gulf News readers about why Santiago and Cibao, with their organized business community, are attractive partners for trade and investment from the Gulf?
Luis Campos: Santiago and Cibao offer a mature, well-established business ecosystem with a proven capacity to develop investment opportunities and manage international commercial relationships.
The region benefits from a strong entrepreneurial culture, an organized business community and a track record of private-sector leadership. It also offers an attractive combination of macroeconomic stability, infrastructure development and economic growth. The Dominican Republic has maintained an average annual growth rate of approximately 5% over an extended period, alongside more than two decades of macroeconomic stability.
The region's airport, road and port infrastructure provides a foundation for international trade, while ongoing investment should further strengthen its connectivity.
Beyond these economic fundamentals, we should not overlook the human dimension. Dominicans are entrepreneurial, welcoming and accustomed to working with people from different backgrounds, cultures and countries. Our business community is open to collaboration and understands the importance of building lasting relationships.
For Gulf investors, Santiago and Cibao offer an opportunity to work with established local partners, participate in a growing and diversified economy, and develop a presence that can serve markets throughout the Caribbean and the Americas.
20. What additional advantages would you emphasize for companies considering investment in the region?
Fernando Puig: I would highlight several complementary strengths: connectivity, the quality of local business partners, institutional development, legal certainty and the diversity of our growing economy.
The region offers opportunities across manufacturing, agribusiness, Free Trade Zones, logistics, tourism and services. Investors can explore established sectors while also identifying emerging activities with significant growth potential.
We should also emphasize the supporting infrastructure that makes a difference to businesses over the long term. Santiago has universities that contribute to workforce development, as well as high-quality healthcare facilities and other institutions that support its development as a regional centre.
Combined with the country's economic stability and improving connectivity, these factors make Santiago and Cibao attractive places to establish partnerships and develop investment projects.
Our objective at the Chamber is to facilitate those relationships, provide companies with reliable local connections and help international investors understand the opportunities available.
We believe that closer cooperation with the Gulf can create lasting benefits for both sides, strengthening trade, attracting investment and opening new avenues for economic development.
