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| Ho Chi Minh City is receiving significant attention from investors for its development into an international financial center. Photo: Le Toan |
Investors are "on the lookout"
Resolution No. 222/2025/QH15 on the development of international financial centers in Vietnam has been officially signed and promulgated by National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, with many groundbreaking and competitive mechanisms and policies. Effective from September 1, 2025, the Resolution will pave the way for the establishment of international financial centers in Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang .
Besides preparing for issues related to land, planning, infrastructure, and human resources, one of the key factors determining the success or failure of financial centers is how to attract investors, especially strategic investors.
The positive news is that recently, many foreign investors have expressed interest in investing in an international financial center in Vietnam. After investing $1.5 billion in Hung Yen , the Trump Organization expressed its desire to invest in a project in Thu Thiem – the area slated to develop an international financial center in Ho Chi Minh City.
A high-level delegation from the Trump Organization has held meetings with Ho Chi Minh City leaders and conducted site surveys to find a suitable location for the Trump Tower project – a complex comprising a shopping mall, luxury apartments, a 5-star hotel, and office space for rent. The Trump Organization is also targeting Da Nang, a second location considered for the development of an international financial center in Vietnam.
According to a recent report by the Da Nang People's Committee, Da Nang has received significant interest and commitments from more than 10 investors. Among them, a consortium of three investors – Makara Capital, Terne Holding, and Trump Organization – hopes to be selected as the strategic investor to develop Vietnam's international financial center in Da Nang.
Makara Capital Partner is one of Singapore's leading corporations in fund management, asset investment, and providing innovative financial solutions. During a meeting with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in early July 2025, Ali Ijaz Ahmad, Chairman and CEO of Makara Capital Partner, stated that the group had conducted "very thorough" market research in Vietnam and had "confidence" in Vietnam's strategic directions, vision, and development aspirations.
Accordingly, in addition to the Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Industrial Park Project in Thai Binh (now Hung Yen) with a scale of nearly 300 hectares, Makara Capital Partner wishes to participate in the restructuring of Vietnamese banks, especially in building an international financial center in Vietnam… The potential for raising capital for this plan, according to Mr. Ali Ijaz Ahmad, is approximately 5-7 billion USD, a considerable amount.
Earlier, in March 2025, during a meeting with leaders of Swire Group – one of the leading corporations in the UK – Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh expressed his desire for Swire to participate in building Vietnam's international financial center in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang.
Swire is the corporation that invested in the Empire City project in Thu Thiem, considered the "heart" of Ho Chi Minh City's international financial center. Swire's leaders have pledged to continue contributing to the development plan of this area.
The important thing is to find a strategic investor.
Investors' interest in the plan to develop an international financial center is genuine. However, the question remains: when will these plans be realized, and how can Vietnam attract strategic investors in this sector?
An interesting piece of information was shared by Mr. Nguyen Van Quang, Secretary of the Da Nang City Party Committee, during a recent meeting with constituents. According to Mr. Quang, a financial center should not just be "an office" for financial transactions, but rather "a living ecosystem" where investors can come and feel that it is a desirable place to live and invest.
The purpose of establishing a national financial center is to attract international capital flows to serve three strategic breakthroughs, traditional and new growth drivers; develop high-end financial services, and test and manage new markets arising from practical experience. 
- Minister of Finance Nguyen Van Thang
Besides a thriving ecosystem, developing international financial centers also requires an ecosystem of investors. This means that the important thing is not just building the infrastructure for the international financial center, but also attracting investors to establish their headquarters in Vietnam.
Vietnam's two financial centers, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City, have been clearly defined. While the Ho Chi Minh City center is expected to develop the capital market, banking, and establish pilot mechanisms (sandboxes) for fintech and specialized exchanges, the Da Nang center will be a testing ground for new models such as green finance, sustainable finance, fintech, and digital services.
Therefore, the target should be at least the world's leading financial corporations, investment funds, etc., to develop an attractive ecosystem for the development of digital finance, digital assets, fintech applications, and so on.
When presenting the draft resolution on an international financial center in Vietnam to the National Assembly on behalf of the Prime Minister, Minister of Finance Nguyen Van Thang affirmed that the formation of an international financial center would help Vietnam connect with global financial markets and attract foreign financial institutions.
"The purpose of building a national financial center is to attract international capital flows to serve three strategic breakthroughs, traditional and new growth drivers; develop high-end financial services, and test and manage new markets arising from practical realities," Minister Nguyen Van Thang said.
To attract international investment, many groundbreaking and specific institutions and policies have been developed and enacted, including preferential policies on corporate income tax and personal income tax, as well as other specific policies for strategic investors, such as priority in selecting key investment projects to develop infrastructure and services supporting international financial centers…
According to Ms. Tran Thi Thuy Ngoc, Deputy General Director and Head of Financial Services at Deloitte Vietnam, these policies demonstrate "a comprehensive, bold, yet realistic vision" for developing an international financial center in Vietnam.
The policies are in place; now it's time to start preparing and implementing them, including promoting investment to attract international investors to Vietnam.
Source: https://baodautu.vn/thu-hut-nha-dau-tu-chien-luoc-vao-trung-tam-tai-chinh-quoc-te-d331846.html
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