Ho Chi Minh City hosted the CEO 500 Program on October 26 as part of the Autumn Economic Forum 2026 (AEF 2026), under the theme “The Convergence of FDI, Technology and Global Financial Flows”.
The event attracted more than 500 business leaders, alongside representatives of international organisations, financial institutions and regulatory agencies, to strengthen connections, expand investment cooperation and identify new drivers of growth for the city.
Opening the program, Mr. Nguyen Cong Vinh, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, described the event as a particularly important dialogue for the city. He said the objective was not simply to attract more investment, but also to work with investors to identify opportunities, respond to emerging requirements, address specific development challenges and create new growth drivers amid rapid technological advances and increasingly interconnected global capital flows.
As international competition for investment intensifies, the city is prioritising high-quality foreign direct investment (FDI) in finance, technology, digital transformation, the green economy, sustainable development and innovation. It aims to attract $19 billion in foreign investment in 2026.
Mr. Vinh noted that investment decisions increasingly depend not only on capital availability but also on technological capabilities, infrastructure, energy supply and workforce quality. Investors are paying greater attention to supply-chain connectivity, market access, financing opportunities, technology adoption and the ability to expand operations across the region.
The city hopes to hear directly from international CEOs and investors about evolving global investment trends, destination-selection criteria and the conditions needed to implement projects. Their feedback will help Ho Chi Minh City build on its strengths, address capability gaps and remove development bottlenecks.
The city has identified four key areas for closer cooperation with international businesses and investors: infrastructure and new development space; finance; energy; and the digital economy and technology.
Google translate