The real estate markets of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City saw a recent breakthrough when work on several large-scale projects was resumed after long years of delay.
Hong Kong-based Alpha King Real Estate Development, the new investor in Saigon One Tower, is now finishing the project after a delay of more than six years. The residential, office-for-lease, and trading complex is expected to be put into operation next year.
The monolithic Saigon One Tower is the most visible victim of Ho Chi Minh City’s burst real estate bubble. Even though the skeleton of the unfinished $238-million skyscraper lies at the intersection of Ham Nghi and Ton Duc Thang Streets, marking it as an incredibly desirable piece of real estate, information about the stalled project has been nearly impossible to come by for years.
![]() |
Previous investors in the project were Saigon M&C Company (49 per cent), Saigontourist Group (30 per cent), Dong A Bank (6 per cent), Dong A Securities (10 per cent), and Phu Nhuan Jewelry Company (5 per cent).
When construction abruptly halted in 2011, an estimated 80 per cent of the work had been completed, with only the glass facade and interior work left.
Tai Nguyen Company also recently resumed work on its Kenton project in Nha Be district (Ho Chi Minh City) after eight years of delay. Tai Nguyen proved its financial capability to finish the project at a signing ceremony with a range of banks, including BIDV, Maritime Bank, and SHB, worth almost $47 million in funds for the project.
Located on 11 hectares at the junction of Nguyen Van Linh and Nguyen Huu Tho streets in Nha Be district, the New Downtown Kenton Node Hotel Complex (Kenton) will be home to 1,338 apartments, 26 shophouses, 228 Avani hotel rooms, 565 Oaks condo-tels, a trading centre, a walking street, a clinic, a multimedia music and water show, and more than 1,000 office rooms for lease. The construction of Kenton has been on halt since hard times hit the property market in 2011.
In Hanoi, CEN Invest and Hi Brand Vietnam have signed a co-operation contract to develop the K-Park residential complex in Daewoo Cleve, a project that has also been in limbo for years.
K-Park will be comprised of three, 23-27 storey towers which will provide a total of more than 950 housing units to the market. Daewoo Cleve was started in 2009 and has been in delay for years because the investor, Inpyung Corp from Korea, could not raise sufficient funds to finish it.
According to Phan Xuan Can, director of Soho Vietnam, the agency behind many M&A deals in Vietnam, the greatest obstacle for the continuation of long-delayed projects was to reach an agreement between all related parties.
“Many long-delayed projects can now be resumed because the parties involved have finally agreed on a reasonable and acceptable way to rescue their projects,” Can said.
“The resurgence of the real estate market has brought about many opportunities for developers. Investors, bankers, and buyers have realised that they must come together to find solutions for their projects, instead of missing these opportunities,” he added.
According to the latest report from the Ho Chi Minh City’s Construction Department, more than 50 projects have been left delayed for years in the city’s downtown area. Among them, 14 projects were halted when construction was already underway.
More than a year after the Politburo's Resolution No. 68-NQ/TW on private sector development came into effect, expectations now extend beyond increasing the number of enterprises. The goal is to build a stronger business community with greater resilience, larger ambitions and the capacity to compete in global supply chains.
Vietnam is expected to remain one of ASEAN’s fastest-growing economies in 2026, supported by resilient exports, strong investment inflows and an ambitious reform agenda, despite mounting global uncertainties, according to the World Bank’s latest Vietnam Economic Update released on May 15.
Under a new circular, the exchange of greenhouse gas emission quotas and carbon credits is conducted on the domestic carbon credit exchange through the carbon trading system, which is interconnected with the national registration system.
As many agricultural businesses continue to face challenges in finding stable outlets, modern retail systems are increasingly becoming key distribution channels helping Vietnamese products access the market more professionally.
For biofuels, particularly E10, to develop successfully, stronger and more coordinated policies are needed, especially pricing mechanisms capable of creating a sufficiently attractive gap between E10 and mineral-based petrol, an expert has said.
A recent PM directive set a May 10 deadline for ministries, agencies and localities to complete detailed allocations of the 2026 public investment capital plan.
A Party official has urged the Vietnamese business community to improve corporate governance, technological capacity, production standards, workforce quality and international connectivity to strengthen ties with the FDI sector.
The White Book provides a comprehensive overview of Vietnam’s current tax system in line with international practices, including direct taxes, indirect taxes and sector-specific levies.
The 12th Africa Forum for Investment & Commerce (AFIC 12) opened in Algiers, the capital of Algeria, on May 9, drawing around 2,000 participants, including officials, economists, businesses, financial and development organizagtions from 43 African countries and international partners, including Vietnam.
According to Dr. Bui Thanh Minh, Deputy Director of the Office of the Private Economic Development Research Board under the Prime Minister’s Advisory Council for Administrative Procedure Reform, Resolution 68 has helped foster a stronger entrepreneurial spirit through a series of concrete policy measures.
Consolidated first-quarter 2025 statements from Vietcombank, VietinBank and BIDV showed that the Treasury’s total deposit balance at the three lenders rose by nearly 39% compared with the end of 2025.
Vietnam targets 1 million one-person businesses, 5 million business entities, 10,000 tech startups, 45 startup support networks, a position among the world’s top 40 innovation ecosystems, and 1.5 billion USD in venture capital by 2030.
The exhibition, which runs until May 9 at the Hanoi International Centre for Exhibition, showcases advanced products and technologies across a range of fields, including pharmaceuticals, drug manufacturing machinery and equipment, medical devices, hospital and clinic services and dental equipment.
The province is tightening maritime governance, with a focus on May–June 2026 to finalise a more robust legal framework and close loopholes for illegal fishing.
Leading the charge in this massive building spree is the new central city square in the core of the Thu Thiem new urban area. Spanning more than 20 ha, it’s the crown jewel of the Central Square and new administrative center complex.
The country’s stable political and economic environment provides a critical foundation for long-term sourcing strategies. At the same time, Vietnam has demonstrated a strong ability to scale up manufacturing, supported by a continuously expanding industrial base capable of meeting both high-volume demand and increasingly complex technical and quality requirements.
The update by Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to its Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON) on April 10, officially setting out import conditions for Vietnamese pomelos, is regarded as a major milestone in market access efforts.
Structured in two steps and three phases, the roadmap envisions a gradual shift from partial to full relocation of international flights, aligned with infrastructure readiness and the long-term ambition of building a regional aviation hub.
The circular economy is no longer just a policy choice. It has become an inevitable trend for delivering sustainable and green growth, sharpening competitiveness at home and abroad, and meeting Vietnam’s net-zero emissions target by 2050. It is now a prerequisite to sustain long-term economic expansion, particularly in industrial production and supporting industries.
Vietnamese fresh produce and processed foods are increasingly recognised for their quality, with items such as cashew nuts, coffee and spices gaining popularity among Middle East consumers. In 2025, Vietnam’s farm produce exports to the UAE exceeded 445 million USD, up nearly 24% year-on-year.