Ho Chi Minh City

Quality talent, cost advantages, and an expanding pipeline of ESG-compliant Grade A office space are turning Ho Chi Minh City into an increasingly strategic long-term destination for multinational corporations establishing or expanding Global Capability Centres (GCCs).

Ho Chi Minh City aims to rank among the world’s top 75 financial centres under the Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI) by 2035, with the longer-term goal of reaching the top 50 by 2045.

Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Hoang Nguyen Dinh presented the city’s strategic vision, policy orientation and development priorities for building a modern, transparent and globally connected finance – technology ecosystem, with science – technology, data, artificial intelligence and fintech identified as core pillars.

The strong turnout of major corporations, strategic investors and global billionaires at bilateral meetings and sidelines discussions further underscored the growing appeal of VIFC-HCMC, fuelling expectations of large-scale international capital inflows and laying the groundwork for long-term, sustainable partnerships.

By source region, Asia continued to be the largest contributor, with remittances approximating 5.06 billion USD, or 48.9% of the total inflows to the city.

In Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City is increasingly emerging as a frontrunner for this new wave of Global Capability Centres (GCCs), underpinned by its advantages in human capital, cost efficiency and high-quality office infrastructure.

Projects slated for commencement include Ho Chi Minh City's Ring Road 4; Metro Line No.2 (Ben Thanh–Tham Luong section); a sea-crossing bridge linking Can Gio with Ba Ria–Vung Tau; and major bridges such as Can Gio, Phu My 2, Thu Thiem 4 and Cat Lai.

By late 2025, the city proudly counted more than 1,000 OCOP-certified products, including over 790 three-star and 220 four-star items, produced by nearly 430 participating entities, establishing a robust base for further expansion in the years ahead.

The expo will feature key activities including on-site and online exhibition booths; a digital business-to-business (B2B) buyer–seller matching programme; Vietnam Night; the opening ceremony; programmes for international buyers and media representatives; forums and thematic seminars introducing key source markets and emerging tourism trends; and a tourism consumer festival.

Construction officially began on Metro Line No. 2 (Ben Thanh–Tham Luong) under public investment, with a total capital of about 55.18 trillion VND.

With a total investment of more than 145 trillion VND (5.2 billion USD), the highlight of the project is a stadium with up to 70,000 seats, featuring a retractable roof and one of the most advanced air-conditioning systems currently available.

​The city’s agricultural sector is undergoing a strong transformation, restructuring toward higher value-added and sustainable development. In recent years, the sector has maintained steady growth, with agricultural, forestry and fisheries output rising by an estimated 2.5% annually.

The city aims to lift average investment intensity to 8–10 million USD per hectare, with a focus on high-tech, high-value-added and environmentally friendly industries.

As the Government is adjusting the national master plan for 2021–2030 with a vision to 2050, which sets a target of sustained double-digit economic growth (over 10%) during 2026–2030, cargo volumes passing through the city’s seaports are expected to rise even further.

Local authorities said the 2025 revenue performance provides a critical springboard for the city to enter its next development phase with higher expectations, as it seeks to meet ambitious fiscal targets in 2026 and beyond.

More than 5.3 billion USD in new and additional investment was channelled into Ho Chi Minh City’s export processing and industrial zones in 2025, up 0.37% year-on-year and exceeding the annual target by 17.5%.

Shoppers are adjusting their habits in response to ongoing economic uncertainty, opting for a more thoughtful and practical approach to spending compared to previous years.

The 2025 Autumn Economic Forum, themed “Green transition in the digital era”, had been a success in terms of scale, content and external engagement. It had served as a practical platform for policy dialogue, bringing together policymakers, international organisations, experts and businesses to discuss major global trends, identify emerging challenges and propose policy directions and solutions in the context of green and digital transformation.

According to the plan, construction of Metro Line No.2 (Ben Thanh–Tham Luong) is scheduled to begin on January 15, 2026. Immediately after finalising the groundbreaking timeline, the municipal People’s Committee instructed relevant agencies to roll out TOD projects along the route.

As traditional growth engines show signs of reaching their limits, HCM City is recalibrating its long-term development strategy in search of new drivers capable of sustaining momentum and reinforcing its role as the economic nucleus of the southern region.