Phnom Penh, Cambodia – The Kingdom of Cambodia successfully attracted substantial foreign and domestic investment in January 2026, approving a total of 43 new projects with an estimated capital of approximately $752 million. These significant investments, registered through the Board of Investment of Cambodia under the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC), are projected to generate over 26,000 new job opportunities across various sectors.
According to a CDC press release issued on February 10, while the number of registered investment projects saw a decrease of 25 projects, or 37%, compared to the same period in 2025, the total investment capital experienced a slight increase of $3.4 million, representing a 0.45% rise. This indicates a trend towards larger-scale individual investments.
The approved projects are geographically diverse, with 35 located within Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and the remaining eight situated outside these designated zones. This distribution highlights a broad interest in Cambodia’s economic landscape, both in established industrial hubs and emerging areas.
Among the most notable investment projects greenlit in January is the development of a 150 MW wind power station in Mondulkiri province, a significant venture valued at $200 million, expected to create 42 jobs. Another major project involves the establishment of a comprehensive textile factory in Kandal province, representing a $25 million investment and set to provide 1,820 employment positions.
Further boosting local industries, plans were approved for a noodle factory in Kampong Speu province, an investment of $23 million that will create 804 jobs. Additionally, an investment project to construct a Kep fish and fish sauce factory, with a capital of $7 million, is set to generate 171 jobs. Both the noodle and fish sauce factory projects are located outside the Special Economic Zones, as confirmed by the CDC.
Within the Special Economic Zones, new development initiatives include plans for establishing additional SEZs in Kampot and Kampong Speu provinces. These strategic projects alone represent an investment of up to $260 million and are projected to create 868 jobs, further solidifying Cambodia’s industrial and trade infrastructure.
The CDC also reported that the capital for these diverse projects originates from a wide range of international investors, including China, Malaysia, Cambodia itself, Singapore, the British Virgin Islands, Seychelles, Korea, Japan, and the United States. These investments are channeled into key economic sectors such as infrastructure development, manufacturing industries, and agriculture, signaling confidence in Cambodia’s sustained economic growth and development trajectory.
