The Vietnamese government has proposed expanding the Vietnam-Oman Investment Fund (VOI) to $1 billion as the country seeks more capital to finance its economic and strategic development agenda.
VOI, which started more than 17 years ago, is a joint venture between the Oman Investment Authority (OIA) and Vietnam’s State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC). The fund has so far disbursed $384 million since its inception.
Vietnam aims to position the fund as a vehicle for advancing key sectors such as transportation infrastructure, clean water, renewable energy, healthcare, education, and consumer finance.
It also aims to increase private sector participation in areas including agriculture and expanding the Halal food market.
Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasised that such investments are not solely about economic returns—they also play a crucial role in improving public services, enhancing social infrastructure, and ultimately raising the standard of living for the Vietnamese people.
VOI’s private equity investments include a range of sectors, with recent holdings in a K-12 education network with 8,000 students, solar energy firm CME Solar, consumer finance platform F88, real estate developer Van Phu Invest, Wayne’s Coffee, and pharmaceutical company Aikya.
It has also exited previous investments in healthcare provider Vinmec, Van Lang University, and industrial manufacturer Kim Tin Group and is also exploring new opportunities in Cambodia.
The recent ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit added momentum to Vietnam-Gulf relations, with both sides agreeing to initiate negotiations on a Vietnam-GCC Free Trade Agreement in the near term.
On the sidelines of the meeting, senior Vietnamese officials and OIA’s deputy president for operations, Sheikh Nasser bin Suliman Al Harthi, discussed strengthening bilateral investment cooperation and aligning fund activities with Vietnam’s long-term development strategy.
Sheikh Nasser bin Suliman Al Harthi revealed that OIA has recently partnered with SCIC to launch the “Vietnam New Era Growth Fund” with an initial capital commitment of $200 million.
This fund will focus on high-potential sectors in Vietnam such as technology, telecommunications, finance, Halal agriculture, and digital transformation.
