More than 100 investment projects, with a total investment of almost $1 billion, were approved by the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) in the first two months of the year. Almost half of the investment capital comes from China.
According to a March 11 CDC press release, the council approved 105 projects with a total capital of about $966 million. They are expected to generate around 39,000 jobs.
Investment from China accounted for 47.17%, followed by Cambodia (22.16%), Malaysia (20.68%) and Singapore (5.04%), along with several other countries.
Kampong Speu province will see 31 projects, along with 21 in Kandal, 14 in Takeo, 10 in Phnom Penh, 9 in Preah Sihanouk and 7 projects in Svay Rieng province. The remaining projects will be located in Kampong Chhnang, Koh Kong, Battambang, Kampot, Kampong Cham, Tboung Khmum, Mondulkiri and Kep.
For February 2026 alone, the CDC approved 42 projects with an investment value of $166 million, which are expected to create about 24,000 jobs.
Projects registered in February include garment, footwear, bag, carton and paper products, furniture and camping equipment manufacturing facilities, as well as tin, timber and metal processing plants. Solar panel and electrical equipment assembly operations were also among the projects.
Lim Heng, vice-president of the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce, told The Post on March 12 that the approval of so many projects reflected strong investor confidence in Cambodia’s political stability, steady economic growth and expanding export markets.
He added that recent negotiations and the implementation of free trade agreements have also encouraged more investors to establish operations in Cambodia.
“Improvements to investment laws and transportation infrastructure are also additional driving forces. What is especially notable now is the increasing investment in medium and heavy industries, and this number will continue to rise from now on,” he said.
In 2025, the CDC approved 630 projects with a total investment of about $10 billion and the potential to create nearly half a million jobs. Among them, 243 were located inside Special Economic Zones (SEZs), according to the CDC.
