Development momentum of the Southern key economic zone

Eco-urban area project in Long Thanh commune, Dong Nai province. Photo: Hoang Loc

With its strategic location, solid economic potential, vision and aspiration to rise, Dong Nai today is not only a bright spot in attracting investment and developing infrastructure but also plays the role of a growth engine of the Southern Key Economic Zone (KKEZ).

Great strides

Before the renovation period, as well as the general situation of the whole country, Dong Nai's economy faced many difficulties. In that situation, Dong Nai Provincial Party Committee continuously issued policies and strategies to overcome the situation and find a suitable direction for the locality. The 10th Conference of the Provincial Party Committee (term III) held from January 6 to 11, 1986 proposed specific and practical measures to complete the task of price - wage - money breakthrough.

After this conference, on February 3, 1986, the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee issued a Resolution on urgent measures to properly implement the Resolution of the 8th Conference of the 5th Central Executive Committee (June 1985). The Resolution considered agriculture as the top front and food as the number 1 goal. Consolidating and strengthening socialist trade, expanding commodity exchange, promoting industrial and commercial reform. From these decisions, agriculture gradually stabilized. The economic structure shifted to industry and services, which then played a leading role.

Then, on March 25, 1986, Dong Nai Provincial Party Committee issued a directive on urgent tasks to properly implement the price - wage - money issue in the spirit of the Resolution of the 8th Conference of the 5th Party Central Committee. The directive proposed specific and urgent solutions with the key task of rearranging production sectors, promoting industrial production, small-scale industry, agriculture and other sectors. Step by step, Dong Nai became a "production base" of many multinational corporations such as: Cargill (USA); Tripod, Formosa (Taiwan, China); Nestlé (Switzerland); Hyosung, Changshin (Korea); Ajinomoto, Lixil (Japan); CP, Amata (Thailand)...

The Southern Key Economic Zone previously had 8 provinces and cities. This is one of the 3 especially important economic zones, the locomotive and growth pole of the whole country. Currently, the region has 3 localities: Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, Tay Ninh.

Thanks to the correct leadership of the Provincial Party Committee and the determination of the government, Dong Nai is currently one of the leading localities in the country in terms of the number and scale of industrial park development, with a high occupancy rate, attracting tens of billions of USD in investment capital, creating stable jobs for hundreds of thousands of workers. Within the industry, the processing, manufacturing and high-tech industries increasingly account for a large proportion, contributing to making the province the leading industrial center of the country.

The province has taken advantage of land and climate to develop specialized industrial crop growing areas, which have both economic value and promote the processing industry. The livestock industry has grown steadily and become the "capital" of pig and chicken farming in the country for many decades. In recent years, Dong Nai agriculture has strongly shifted to applying high technology, clean and organic agriculture, associated with deep processing and export. Many specialized growing areas and large chain-linked fields have been formed; key products have affirmed their brands in domestic and foreign markets. Agricultural achievements have made the province one of the leading localities in the Southern region and the whole country in implementing the National Target Program on New Rural Construction.

The social housing area in Tran Bien ward was just completed and put into use in early 2025. Photo: Hoang Loc

Along with economic development, Dong Nai has paid special attention to investing in transport infrastructure. Expressways have been and are being built, making the province a trading center of the whole region. The biggest highlight in terms of infrastructure is the Long Thanh International Airport Project, expected to be basically completed by the end of 2025, which will make Dong Nai become the "gateway to the sky" of Vietnam, with extensive international connections.

In addition, the system of seaports, dry ports and international border gates, large and small, is also a special advantage for developing transportation services, becoming a logistics and export center. This is also a competitive advantage in attracting foreign investment thanks to the ability to connect conveniently with international markets, reduce logistics costs, and shorten the time of transporting goods.

Strong economic development has led to rapid urbanization in both breadth and depth. Wards have developed in a modern direction with systematic planning. Social infrastructure has received synchronous investment, contributing to improving people's quality of life. Average income per capita has continuously increased, reaching more than 153 million VND (more than 6 thousand USD) by mid-2025, 1.7 times higher than in 2020. The poverty rate has decreased sharply, and social security has been ensured.

Growth drivers of the Southern Key Economic Zone

With remarkable progress in economy, infrastructure and people's quality of life, Dong Nai has not only become a strongly developing locality but also contributed greatly to the overall development of the Southern Key Economic Zone.

For many consecutive years, Dong Nai province has been among the top 10 localities with the largest budget contributions in the country. The economic growth rate has been maintained at over 7.11%/year in the 2021-2025 period, with double-digit economic growth in 2025 alone. Export turnover has reached tens of billions of USD/year, with the province aiming to exceed 32 billion USD in 2025 alone. After merging provinces and cities, Dong Nai and Ho Chi Minh City have become a powerful duo, leading the growth of the Southern Key Economic Zone.

With an open investment environment, completed infrastructure, and especially expanded administrative space, Dong Nai continues to be an attractive destination for domestic and foreign investors.

Entering the country's renewal period, Dong Nai's economic structure is poor and backward agriculture. In that context, the Provincial Party Committee has issued many resolutions and directives clearly defining the direction, the industrial - construction economy has gradually risen, dominated and turned the province into one of the strong localities in industrial development, investment attraction, import - export. The target set by the Provincial Party Committee by 2030 is that industry - construction accounts for more than 63%, agriculture - forestry - fishery about 7%, the rest is trade - services.

Currently, Dong Nai is both the growth engine of the largest VKTTD in the country and plays the role of a gateway connecting the Southeast region with the Central Highlands and the Central Coast. Possessing all 5 types of transportation is an advantage for the province to easily connect domestically and internationally, reduce logistics costs, attract investment, develop industry - trade - services, and increase competitiveness.

National Assembly Delegate Trinh Xuan An, Standing Member of the National Defense and Security Committee of the 15th National Assembly, commented: After the merger, Dong Nai province has converged advantages in terms of nature, economy and connecting infrastructure. Expanding development space and integrating resources are favorable conditions for the province to adjust the master plan, expand industrial - urban space, attract high-quality investment and enhance its role in the Southern VKTTD development network.

Industrial production at Thibidi Joint Stock Company, Long Duc Industrial Park, Binh An Commune, Dong Nai Province. Photo: Hoang Loc

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the Conference on Announcing the Planning of Dong Nai Province for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050, emphasized: Dong Nai has a strategic position in terms of economy - society, security - defense; has abundant human resources, young population, many aspirations; is an important traffic hub, with 5 modes of transportation; located in the Southern Key Economic Zone. Besides, the province has a heroic cultural, historical and revolutionary tradition; diverse natural advantages, suitable for green, sustainable and comprehensive development. The achievements have been the basis for the province to consolidate and strengthen the confidence of businesses and investors.

To truly become the growth engine of the Southern Key Economic Zone, the province needs to continue to mobilize and effectively use all legal resources to promote traditional growth engines and create breakthroughs in new growth engines. Increase investment, develop human factors; connect regions, areas, domestically and internationally through the transport system, production system and chain, and market connection. Exploit 3 strategic breakthroughs: infrastructure, science, technology and human resources.

Aspiration to rise in the new stage

Entering a new development phase, Dong Nai has set out 8 key tasks and 3 strategic breakthroughs. Believing that with a solid economic foundation, available potential and advantages, along with open investment policies, flexible operating mechanisms, especially determination and aspiration to rise, Dong Nai will continue to create strong breakthroughs. Becoming a bright spot in industrial, service, urban and commercial development; actively contributing to the common development goals of the region and the whole country, contributing to bringing the country firmly into the era of development.
new development

At the 4th Conference of the Southeast Regional Coordination Council held in early August 2025, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said: Dong Nai now has new space and conditions for development, the province must have a long-term vision, do big things, and train appropriate human resources. The first step is to review and update the planning in accordance with the rearrangement of administrative units and orientation of socio-economic zoning. Next is to effectively mobilize resources to realize the planning; take the lead in breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation. At the same time, focus on investing in traffic routes connecting airports and seaports to maximize advantages and achieve sustainable development goals.

The issues raised by the Government leader have been recognized, evaluated and included in the Draft Political Report submitted to the 1st Provincial Party Congress, term 2025-2030. That is to take the development of science, technology, innovation, digital transformation, green transformation, circular economy, and knowledge economy as the main driving force for development. Promote talent attraction, training high-quality human resources. Protect and restore the ecological environment, proactively adapt to climate change. Build Dong Nai to develop green, strong, civilized and modern.

Hoang Loc

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/kinh-te/202509/dong-luc-phat-trien-cua-vung-kinh-te-trong-diemphia-nam-e3522dc/