Việt Nam and UAE deepen cooperation on international financial centre development

Việt Nam and UAE deepen cooperation on international financial centre development

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyễn Hoà Bình have met with top UAE officials, including ADGM Chairman Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, to discuss strengthening bilateral investment ties and developing Việt Nam’s international financial centre (IFC).

Deputy PM Nguyễn Hòa Bình meets with Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Global Market, on Tuesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Nguyễn Trường

During his ongoing official visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bình had a meeting with UAE Minister of Investment and Managing Director & Group CEO of ADQ Mohamed Hassan Al Suwaidi in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

Bình praised the ministry’s achievements, which, in just two years since its establishment, have helped position the UAE as a leading regional investment hub. He said Việt Nam wishes to futher enhance multifaceted cooperation with the UAE, its sole comprehensive partner in the Middle East.

Minister Al Suwaidi expressed his hope that the UAE–Việt Nam Investment Protection Agreement would be signed soon, providing a legal framework to facilitate bilateral business. Both sides agreed to set a date for an investment promotion conference in Việt Nam to announce concrete cooperation outcomes.

They also agreed to establish a Vietnamese Business Council in the UAE to create a direct channel between the two countries’ business communities, while emphasising collaboration in green energy, aligned with sustainable development goals. Bình requested UAE support in developing Việt Nam’s international financial centre, to which Minister Al Suwaidi affirmed full support and willingness to share expertise.

Also the same day, Deputy PM Bình met with Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), one of the world’s most attractive financial centres. He congratulated the ADGM on its achievements since its inception in 2015 and sought guidance on building Việt Nam’s IFC.

The ADGM Chairman highlighted three key success factors for an IFC, namely legal independence, stable and reliable policies, and efficient procedures supporting investors. He stressed the importance of attracting major partners, assessing investor needs, promoting Việt Nam’s IFC internationally, and focusing on human resource development.

Bình requested the ADGM to elaborate on its unique advantages. Al Zaabi noted the UAE’s strategic location, the development of two IFCs, and emphasised trust as the core value of a financial centre, highlighting key incentives for talent, businesses, investors, and international funds.

The Deputy PM outlined Việt Nam’s investment needs in infrastructure, energy, digital economy, and green transformation, welcoming the ADGM’s support in introducing international investors to Việt Nam and its IFC. Both sides agreed to hold an investment promotion event in the UAE in early 2026.

He also stressed the Vietnamese Government’s efforts to finalise the legal framework for its IFC, which is designed to operate independently of State agencies, and expressed the country’s desire to strengthen comprehensive cooperation with the ADGM.

On this occasion, Bình witnessed the signing of memoranda of understanding between the ADGM and the people’s committees of HCM City and Đà Nẵng on IFC development. He also met with Vietnamese Embassy staff in the UAE.

The Vietnamese official is scheduled to have meeting on September 24–25 with UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Maktoum Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is also DIFC Chairman, and Minister of Cabinet Affairs Mohammed Bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, and leaders of several UAE corporations. 

Bizhub