Saigon Hi-Tech Park Management Board hosted a working session with the World Free Zones Organization (WFZO): Opening the Door to a Global Network

On the morning of 12 August 2026, at the conference hall of the Saigon Hi-Tech Park Management Board (SHTP Management Board), SHTP Management Board held a working session with a high-level delegation from the World Free Zones Organization (WFZO). The visit was devoted to discussing strategic cooperation opportunities, with a view to connecting SHTP-based enterprises to the organisation’s global network.

The session was chaired by Mr. Nguyen Nghia Hiep, Vice President of the SHTP Management Board, together with representatives of the Board’s divisions and affiliated units, including the Investment Promotion Division, the Division of Science and Technology Management and International Cooperation, the Enterprise Management Division, the SHTP Training Centre, the Research and Development (R&D) Centre and the Hi-Tech Business Incubator.

On the WFZO side, the delegation was led by Dr. Mohammed Al Zarooni, Chairman of the organisation. He was accompanied by Dr. James Zhan, Chief Advisor to the WFZO and formerly a senior official of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and Dr. Matthew Stephenson, Chief Executive Officer of the WFZO.

Opening the session, SHTP representatives extended a warm welcome to the delegation and, through a short video, introduced the park’s investment environment, its modern infrastructure and the specific incentive mechanisms and policies applied within the Saigon Hi-Tech Park. The presentation highlighted SHTP’s development potential and its strategic orientation for the period ahead.

Speaking on behalf of the WFZO, Dr. Mohammed Al Zarooni outlined the organisation’s mission of helping free zones around the world develop successfully. Operating on a model similar to that of the World Bank, the WFZO today maintains a wide-reaching network across many countries, with a focus on sharing experience, promoting innovation, supporting investment and providing specialised advisory and training services.

The delegation spoke highly of the development potential of Vietnam in general and of SHTP in particular, and expressed the hope that SHTP would soon become an official member of the organisation. WFZO representatives stressed that membership, which carries no membership fee, would allow SHTP and the enterprises operating in the park to engage more deeply with a global network of more than 1,600 members across 141 countries, thereby opening up broader opportunities to promote innovation and attract international investment.

On behalf of the SHTP Management Board, Vice President Nguyen Nghia Hiep acknowledged the WFZO’s goodwill and expressed particular interest in the invitation to join the organization. The SHTP Management Board’s leadership affirmed its agreement with the orientation towards a strategic partnership and said that SHTP would promptly proceed with the preparatory steps needed to turn this opportunity for deeper global connection into reality in the near future.

The WFZO delegation’s visit and working session concluded successfully, opening up promising new avenues for cooperation. The event contributes to raising the international profile of the Saigon Hi-Tech Park and creates further momentum for innovation activities and for attracting high-technology investment in the period ahead.

The World Free Zones Organization (WFZO) Delegation working with Saigon Hi-Tech Park Management Board