DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Trends and Developments Contributed by: John Seibel, Fernando P Henríquez, Adriana Paz, Francesca Molina and Gia Guerrero, Seibel Henríquez
This growth has created sustained demand for indus - trial parks, distribution centres and logistics hubs. The country’s strategic location, combined with its network of ports, airports, trade agreements and digital infra - structure, has reinforced its role within regional supply chains. Nearshoring trends have accelerated interest from foreign companies in establishing operations in the Dominican Republic, generating new opportuni - ties in industrial and commercial real estate. Establishing operations within a free trade zone involves more than setting up a company. From infra - structure investment and labour structuring to energy management and regulatory compliance, each stage requires careful planning. Legal counsel is essential to structure the investment, obtain permits and licences, and ensure compliance – enabling the project to cap - ture the full benefits of the regime from day one. Mining and rare-earth development: emerging drivers of land use and real estate transformation in the Dominican Republic Beyond the traditional sectors, certain industries are generating new dynamics in land use and real estate development across the Dominican Republic. The min - ing sector closed in 2025 with results that consolidate its position as one of the principal drivers of economic growth. FDI in mining reached USD420.6 million in the second quarter of 2025, making it the third-largest recipient of foreign investment in the country, and total mining exports surpassed USD2,590 million for the year – the highest value in the sector’s history. Mining projects require intensive use of land, and their development involves the intersection of mining rights, real estate property rights, environmental regulations and territorial development policies. Under the Gen - eral Mining Law (Law No 146-71, as amended), the right to explore, exploit or process mineral substances can only be acquired through concessions granted by the State via the Ministry of Energy and Mines, subject to compliance with applicable legal, technical and environmental requirements. Mining concessions constitute an autonomous real right separate from the ownership of the land, even where both are held by the same party – a distinction with important implica - tions for real estate transactions affecting areas sub - ject to mining rights.
Investors and companies seeking to develop mining projects must engage specialised legal counsel capa - ble of navigating the full regulatory life-cycle – from the initial prospecting and exploration phases through to exploitation and operational closure – while simulta - neously managing the real estate and environmental dimensions of their land holdings. Data centres and digital infrastructure: a strategic frontier for real estate investment in the Dominican Republic The development of data centres and digital infra - structure is emerging as a strategic real estate sector, driven by the country’s positioning as a regional con - nectivity hub and the growth of digital services across Latin America. Investment in submarine cable systems and fibre optic networks, coupled with demand from fintech, e-commerce and cloud platforms, is position - ing the Dominican Republic as a relevant market for data storage. Data centres require specialised site selection – reliable power, efficient telecommunica - tions and careful environmental risk assessment – placing these developments at the intersection of real estate, energy and technology. From a legal and regulatory perspective, data centre projects involve a complex, multi-layered framework that spans land use and zoning regulations, environ - mental permitting, energy structuring and telecom - munications due diligence. Investors must navigate issues such as power purchase agreements, grid interconnection, rights of way for fibre deployment and long-term build-to-suit or lease structures tailored to mission-critical operations and transactions. C. Regional development policies: border zones The Dominican State has also promoted economic development in specific regions through special legal frameworks designed to attract investment to his - torically underdeveloped areas. The most significant of these is Law No 12-21 on Border Development, which establishes fiscal incentives for enterprises developing projects in the border provinces of Ped - ernales, Montecristi, Dajabón, Independencia, Elías Piña, Santiago Rodríguez and Bahoruco. Cumulative investment under this framework currently stands at approximately USD923.7 million.
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