Acting as the Eastern gateway, Thu Thiem is on track to become the city's new financial hub, experts stated at the Ho Chi Minh City Real Estate Forum themed "The Central Core," held on November 18.
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), a modern Central Business District (CBD) is an area that concentrates commercial, financial, and service activities with the highest labor density within an urban region. With its vast land bank and systematic planning, Thu Thiem possesses many characteristics approaching the model of a modern CBD.
Transport infrastructure is a crucial factor driving Thu Thiem's development. Specifically, Metro Line 1 (Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien) and bridge projects connecting the historic District 1 with Thu Thiem are being accelerated.
Coupled with the planned Thu Thiem - Long Thanh railway, these projects create an inter-regional transport network, attracting residents, experts, and businesses to the East. This serves as the foundation for a future "dual center" dynamic between the historic District 1 and Thu Thiem.
Consequently, the central Ho Chi Minh City real estate market is witnessing robust growth, particularly in the luxury apartment segment. Data from Batdongsan.com.vn reveals that in the first 10 months of 2025, although central apartments accounted for only 28% of the supply, they attracted 45% of consumer interest.
Additionally, urban areas adjacent to Thu Thiem are also drawing significant attention from both investors and residents.
Deputy General Director of Batdongsan.com.vn Nguyen Quoc Anh noted that Thu Thiem is not merely an extension of the city center but has the potential to become a counterbalancing economic and financial hub within the next 5 to 10 years.
"With its strategic location, extensive land bank, and orientation toward becoming an International Financial Center (IFC), Thu Thiem is viewed as the fulcrum for Ho Chi Minh City's next development phase. The division of roles among localities in the Southern economic region also contributes to optimizing regional resources and promoting the balanced development of the entire urban ecosystem," Anh said.
According to real estate experts, a comparison with megacities such as Seoul, Shanghai, or Singapore shows that HCM City's development is following a similar trajectory: shifting from a mono-centric structure to a network of functional centers. Infrastructure remains one of the key driving forces behind this transition.
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