DMCC to establish Financial Centre, deepening UAE–Vietnam trade ties

Post by : Bianca Suleiman

DMCC, Dubai’s principal international business district, wrapped up a Vietnam roadshow with an announcement to create a new Financial Centre aimed at strengthening trade finance, fintech development and digital asset activity across its 26,000-strong membership.

The delegation’s visits to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi underscored an effort to intensify commercial linkages between the UAE and Southeast Asia, and reflect Dubai’s expanding position as a global centre for commerce, technology and innovation.

Following the recent debut of the DMCC Wealth Hub, the proposed Financial Centre is intended to form the fiscal core of DMCC’s broader ecosystem. It will bring banks, fintech firms, accelerators and investment houses together within a single, connected community to bridge conventional and digital finance and widen access to global capital.

Organisers say further information will be released at the Dubai Precious Metals Conference in November, a signal of DMCC’s evolution from a commodity-focused free zone to a more diversified, finance-led business platform.

The roadshow follows the UAE–Vietnam Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), signed in October last year. Since the pact’s enactment, bilateral non-oil trade reached USD 7.02 billion in the first half of 2025, a 16.9% increase year-on-year. The agreement, which removes over 98% of tariffs, has opened space for closer cooperation in agri-food, manufacturing and technology sectors.

With momentum building, bilateral non-oil trade is forecast to climb to about USD 20 billion in the coming years. More than 670 Southeast Asian companies currently operate inside DMCC, including a rising cohort from Vietnam leveraging Dubai’s strategic connectivity to access international markets.

At the Vietnam sessions, in excess of 550 business leaders were briefed on how DMCC and Dubai can serve as gateways for overseas expansion. Delegates discussed shared opportunities in agri-commodities, artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure.

DMCC continues to anchor this growth story — hosting firms from over 180 countries and accounting for roughly 15% of Dubai’s foreign direct investment inflows. Its global outreach initiative, Made For Trade Live, remains central to strengthening trade and investment relationships worldwide.

As Dubai builds on its global business credentials, the planned DMCC Financial Centre is positioned to reshape the intersection of trade and finance, fostering innovation, connectivity and sustained economic expansion from the city’s core.