On April 16, Minister of Construction Tran Hong Minh signed a decision recognizing Dong Nai province as meeting the criteria of a type I urban area, meeting all the criteria of a centrally-run city.
The boundary scope of recognition of Dong Nai province has a total natural area of 12,737.18km2, with 95 commune-level administrative units, and a population size of 4,491,408 people in 2025.
With being recognized as meeting the criteria of a type I urban area, Dong Nai has now met 7/7 criteria for establishing a centrally-run city, including: population size; natural area; ratio of wards to the total number of commune-level administrative units; urbanization rate; location and function in planning determined by competent authorities; type I urban area criteria; socio-economic development structure and level.
Dong Nai is located in the "strategic intersection" of the entire Southern region, both as a gateway connecting with Ho Chi Minh City, and as a bridge connecting the Southeast with the Central Highlands, the South Central Coast, and having a spillover effect on the Mekong Delta.
In particular, with the presence of Long Thanh International Airport, Dong Nai is not only a locality with large infrastructure, but also a convergence of a new development space: industry, logistics, urban areas, services, international trade and aviation economy.
Currently, Dong Nai province is one of the major industrial centers of Vietnam, with 89 industrial parks planned, concentrated in dynamically developing areas such as Bien Hoa, Nhon Trach, Long Thanh, Dong Xoai, Dong Phu, Chon Thanh and Trang Bom.
Currently, 45 countries have businesses operating industrial production in industrial parks. Dong Nai with 2,269 projects and a total registered investment capital of 44.38 billion USD, not only contributes to local economic growth but also plays an important role in the production and export chain of the Southern key economic region and the whole country.
As a land with more than 325 years of formation and development, Dong Nai is one of the cradles that opened up the South; a place of intersection of many cultural, religious, and commercial flows; and also a land rich in patriotic and revolutionary traditions.
According to the Provincial People's Committee, the establishment of Dong Nai city will be a strategic step, creating a foundation for Dong Nai to rise from the position of a large industrial province to become a modern regional-level urban area, capable of leading development and creating new growth momentum for the entire Southeast region.
