The Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone (SSEZ), spanning 11.13 sq km, recorded its highest annual trade volume in 2024, reaching USD 4.07 billion—a 21.3% increase from the previous year. As of April 2025, 202 companies from China, Europe, the United States, ASEAN, and other regions have established operations within the zone, creating over 32,000 jobs and improving local workers’ incomes and living conditions.
Strategically located 17 km from Sihanoukville, the zone offers easy access to major infrastructure:
12 km from the port, 3 km from the airport, and 4 km from the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway.
Strategic Role and Policy Support
SSEZ plays a role in Cambodia’s long-term vision to develop Preah Sihanouk province into an industrial and logistics hub by 2030. In support of this objective, the Royal Government has introduced the “Special Program to Promote Investment in Preah Sihanouk Province 2024,” which includes property tax exemptions for dormant construction projects through 2028.
In Q1 2025, authorities approved 74 investment projects totaling USD 848 million. These include 18 new projects valued at USD 205 million, projected to generate about 3,000 jobs across a range of sectors. At the 16th Working Group meeting, an additional 10 projects worth USD 154 million were approved, with a combined employment potential of 1,187 jobs in manufacturing, commercial, hospitality, and residential developments.
Since the program’s inception in 2024, a total of 297 projects have been approved, representing USD 7.03 billion in committed investment and the potential to create over 53,000 jobs. The government continues to promote investor participation by offering a combination of fiscal incentives, administrative facilitation, and procedural streamlining.