Ho Chi Minh City has set an ambitious goal of increasing the contribution of the services sector to 60–65% of its Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) by 2030 and 70–75% by 2040, as part of its strategy to become a leading services hub in Southeast Asia.

The city’s People's Committee has issued a plan to implement a project aimed at transforming the southern metropolis into a major national and regional services center, focusing on high-value, modern service industries.

Under the plan, the services sector will remain the primary engine of economic growth and play a leading role in restructuring the economy toward greater efficiency, modernization and sustainability. The city targets annual service-sector growth of 12–14% during the 2025–2030 period. Between 2030 and 2040, service-sector growth is expected to remain strong at 11–13% per year.

The strategy identifies three groups of priority industries. Strategic sectors include finance, banking and insurance; information and communications; transportation, warehousing and logistics; science, technology and innovation; and tourism. Potential growth sectors include education and training, healthcare, and digital economy services, while supporting sectors comprise trade, real estate, arts, sports and entertainment.

A key feature of the plan is the implementation of a “5+1” development model, with Ho Chi Minh City - based Vietnam's International Financial Centre serving as the core and linked to five strategic service hubs: a maritime and logistics center; an information, communications, science and innovation center; a tourism center; a healthcare center; and an education and training center.

By 2030, the city aims to become Southeast Asia’s leading services center and maintain its role as Vietnam’s economic powerhouse in digital economy development, finance, science and technology, logistics, tourism, education and healthcare.

Looking further ahead, the city targets becoming one of Asia’s leading service hubs by 2035 and joining the world's top 100 fastest-growing, most modern and sustainable cities. By 2045, it aspires to achieve global service-center status and rank among the world's top 50 rapidly developing, modern and sustainable cities.