They are analyzing a direct route between Panama City and Dubai with Emirates Airlines

Posted on 2026-02-16

The Panamanian foreign minister and the president of Emirates Airlines discussed the possibility of opening a direct route between Panama City and Dubai, highlighting the country's logistical potential.

Panama's Foreign Minister, Javier Martínez-Acha, and Emirates Airlines President Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum met to discuss a possible direct route between Panama City and Dubai operated by the airline, the Panamanian Foreign Ministry announced on Friday.

Also present at the meeting were authorities from Tocumen International Airport, Panama's main airport and considered an important regional hub, as detailed in a statement by the Central American country's Foreign Ministry.

In addition to that air connection between the two countries, and "in that context, the Emirati authorities highlighted their interest in Panama, due to its geographical position and logistical capacity."

Martínez-Acha began a tour of Persian Gulf countries this week in Dubai with the aim of strengthening bilateral relations, promoting cooperation opportunities in strategic areas, and participating in the debates of the 2026 World Summit of Governments and the Tenth International Cooperation Conference of the Association of Caribbean States, an organization of which Panama currently holds the pro tempore presidency.

The visit to Dubai concluded this Friday, and now the Panamanian Foreign Minister is heading to Qatar, the second stop on his official mission through the Persian Gulf, which will also take him to Saudi Arabia.

During a visit to Doha, the capital of Qatar, Martínez-Acha will hold meetings with local authorities and develop an agenda focused on attracting investment and cultural and educational issues, according to official information shared this week.

As the final stop on the official mission, in Riyadh, capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a country where Panama recently opened its embassy as part of strengthening its diplomatic presence in the Middle East, the official letter indicated without specifying dates.