Could Nayib Bukele’s military operation in Haiti lead to a lasting change for the better? If you’re wondering, take a look at who’s investing just across the border. (apnews.com)

Yossi Abadi, one of the people behind Alba Bay, is El Salvador’s honorary consul in Israel. He has worked with El Salvador’s vice president and received a state honor from the Salvadoran government. The group he helps lead has spent years assembling around 40 square kilometers of land in Monte Cristi, in the northwest of the Dominican Republic. They plan to build a city with a free-trade zone, and an international airport is also in the plans. (presidencia.gob.sv, cms.diarioelsalvador.com, alba-bay.com, senadord.gob.do)

Monte Cristi is closer to Miami than Santo Domingo is, and the cargo port of Manzanillo sits right by the Haitian border. That already makes the area an interesting place for trade. If security in Haiti improves for the long term, that location could take on a whole new significance. (geodatos.net, montecristi.org, portuaria.gob.do)

Alba Bay was already being discussed publicly in 2024. These two developments may be entirely independent. Still, when someone with such close ties to El Salvador’s government commits to a decades-long investment next door to Haiti, I take the possibility of lasting improvement in Haiti seriously. (https://lnkd.in/dvKfxM2C, presidencia.gob.sv, apnews.com)

And I’m personally rooting for Alba Bay. At Costa Samaná, we’re developing 3 square kilometers. They’re talking about around 40. That’s a different order of magnitude in both land and financing. The project’s backers include investors linked to a publicly traded Israeli developer. I know firsthand how much work goes into building a town from scratch. I want them to succeed. It would be a great showcase for the Dominican Republic. (alba-bay.com, israel-canada.co.il, simplywall.st)