Dong Nai accelerates on the runway into a new era

Amid the strong development momentum of the Southern Key Economic Region and the nation as a whole, Dong Nai has consistently been identified as a strategic growth pole. During the 2020–2025 term, despite numerous challenges, under the close leadership and direction of the Provincial Party Committee, Dong Nai succeeded in unblocking many “bottlenecks” while laying a solid foundation for a new phase of development.

Politburo member and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh encourages engineers operating the Nhon Trach 3 and 4 LNG-fired power plants at Ong Keo Industrial Park (Dai Phuoc Commune) on the occasion of the plants’ official inauguration in late December 2025. Photo: Cong Nghia

The province’s remarkable efforts are clearly reflected in impressive figures on its economic development for 2025—GRDP growth of 9.63%; per capita GRDP exceeding 150 million VND; state budget revenue surpassing 100 trillion VND for the first time; estimated export turnover of 34.6 billion USD; attraction of over 173 trillion VND in domestic investment and more than 3.3 billion USD in foreign direct investment (exceeding targets and remaining among the top nationwide).

Building a “launchpad” for the next journey

One of Dong Nai’s biggest imprints in the 2020–2025 term is the strong acceleration in investment and completion of a modern, synchronized transport infrastructure system.

Nguyen Kim Long, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee and Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee, shared: “During the past term, Dong Nai has realized its strategic objective of modern transport infrastructure, viewing it as both a lever and a ‘flow’ to drive the entire economy and expand new development space. Completing the transport network is the solution to rapid and sustainable socio-economic development and to further attracting high-quality investment in the new period.”

It can be said that, half a century after the Liberation of the South and national reunification, Dong Nai has never before witnessed infrastructure development on a scale and at a speed as rapid and robust as during the 2020–2025 term. A series of large-scale, modern, highly connected transport projects of national significance are being implemented at an extraordinarily rapid pace across the province, braving sun and rain to keep the projects on track. Notable examples include Long Thanh International Airport; Ho Chi Minh City’s Ring Road 3; the Dau Giay–Phan Thiet Expressway; the Bien Hoa–Vung Tau Expressway; Phuoc An Seaport; the Ben Luc–Long Thanh Expressway; the expansion of the Ho Chi Minh City–Long Thanh–Dau Giay Expressway; and Phuoc An Bridge, among others. Together, these projects require a total investment of hundreds of trillions of VND.

Notably, in the very first days of 2026, Dong Nai and Ho Chi Minh City joined hands to commence construction on several strategic bridges – Long Hung Bridge, Cat Lai Bridge, and Phu My 2 Bridge – while urgently preparing investment procedures for two urban railway lines connecting the two localities: a rail link from Long Thanh Airport to Thu Thiem New Urban Area (Ho Chi Minh City), and the extension of the Ben Thanh–Suoi Tien Metro Line No. 1 (Ho Chi Minh City) to Dong Nai’s new administrative center and Long Thanh Airport. These projects are expected to shape new economic spaces, remove inter-regional connectivity barriers, and enhance economic efficiency for the entire Southeast region and the country.

Strategic policy decisions to help Dong Nai “take off”

On November 13, 2025, during his first working visit to Long Thanh Airport, Party General Secretary To Lam emphasized key policy decisions to enable Dong Nai to build strong momentum for breakthrough growth. He stressed the need for a “path-opening mechanism” through the application of special policies on investment, finance, and land – similar to those of Ho Chi Minh City – in order to remove bottlenecks and unlock resources. The province should build pioneering development models by fully leveraging the advantages of Long Thanh Airport and soon forming a free trade zone linked with Cai Mep Port. Dong Nai must mobilize resources and accelerate infrastructure development with a spirit of urgency and decisiveness.

Accelerating to seize opportunities

According to Nguyen Van Ut, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, in the new term, Dong Nai province will continue to unleash and develop existing potential and advantages, and further enhance the spirit and responsibility of officials and Party members from the provincial to the commune levels to improve the efficiency of serving the people and businesses. Building on the strategic transportation infrastructure foundation that has clearly taken shape in the new term, the province will continue to improve its transport network, not only to better connect within the province but also to have inter-regional linkages.

With increasingly improved transportation infrastructure, the province will continue to accelerate the completion of infrastructure for new-generation industrial parks located near Long Thanh Airport to quickly attract more high-tech, high-value-added investment projects, creating more high-quality jobs.

Le Truong Son, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee and Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee, noted that training strategic human resources is a fundamental solution for Dong Nai to proactively seize new development opportunities and ensure synchronization with infrastructure already in place. The province will continue cooperating with reputable academies and universities to implement training programs, particularly to enhance administrative management capacity and digital transformation skills for officials, civil servants and public employees. At the same time, the Provincial People’s Committee will pay attention to investing in and supporting local universities and colleges to improve human resource quality in line with enterprises’ needs—especially high-tech firms that have invested, are investing, and will invest in Dong Nai.

Le Nu Thuy Duong, Vice Chairwoman of the Board and CEO of KN Holdings Corporation Joint Stock Company, shared: “We are very encouraged that the province has facilitated the assignment of investment in two new industrial parks to the east of Long Thanh Airport. After the initial start-up phase, we are determined to accelerate infrastructure development to welcome investors, generate more revenue for the province, and create jobs for local residents.”

Meanwhile, Le Ngoc Son, Chairman of the Members’ Council of Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (Petrovietnam), said that the group has inaugurated Dong Nai’s first two LNG-fired power plants—Nhon Trach 3 and Nhon Trach 4—with the total investment exceeding USD 1.5 billion. Petrovietnam is studying and proposing to the Government the continued development of larger-scale, more modern gas power plants to meet the growing energy demand of Dong Nai and Ho Chi Minh City.

Ho Quang Khanh, Deputy Secretary of the Loc Thanh Commune Party Committee and Chairman of the Commune People’s Committee

Loc Thanh has officially commenced construction of boarding dormitories, a canteen, kitchen, and auxiliary facilities for Loc Thien Primary– Secondary School, with total investment nearing VND 11 billion. This stands as vivid evidence for the swift and practical implementation by the Provincial Party Committee and People’s Committee of the Politburo’s Conclusion Notice No. 81-TB/TW dated July 18, 2025, on the policy of investing in school construction for border communes. The province’s decisive leadership has turned the Central Government’s humane policy into reality, definitively addressing the challenge of learning environments for students in border communes.

Nguyen Ngoc Lan, a resident of Phuoc An Commune

We have full confidence in the vision and close attention of the Party and the State toward Dong Nai’s strong transformation, especially the Phuoc An, which is developing a seaport. Our greatest hope is that the breakthrough infrastructure projects will soon create quality jobs, helping farmers transition their livelihoods, and sustainably improve incomes. We look forward to a more prosperous and modern future where development brings a worthy and fulfilling life to future generations.

By Cong Nghia – Translated by Trieu Ngan, Thu Ha