The "unfinished buildings" of Sihanoukville province are gradually coming back to life. According to the latest figures from the local government, as of June 2026, a total of 428 investment projects in the province involve 468 incomplete buildings, of which 128 projects have resumed construction, completed renovations or reopened for business.
Most of these projects are hotels, apartments, commercial buildings and other structures that were built during the earlier real estate and construction boom. In 2019, Cambodia stopped online gambling, and the subsequent impact of the pandemic put strain on the funding chains of many investment projects, leaving a large number of high-rises stalled for long periods.
To help these projects "come alive" again, the Cambodian government began rolling out a special investment promotion program for Sihanoukville province in 2024, offering tax incentives, streamlined approval procedures and investment matchmaking to help projects resume construction. In January 2026, the government decided to extend the related special investment program until the end of 2027.
The Sihanoukville provincial government says many projects still need further work to resolve funding, investor disputes and procedural issues. Local authorities will continue to communicate with project owners and accelerate efforts to address the difficulties.
At the same time, the development direction of Sihanoukville is also changing. The area is now promoting industries such as tourism, ports, manufacturing and logistics, hoping to reduce its dependence on a single real estate market and convert idle and stalled buildings back into economic resources.
From a situation once marked by widespread construction stoppages to one in which more than 100 projects have now restarted, Sihanoukville's "unfinished buildings" are slowly regaining vitality. However, truly putting these buildings back into use will still require funding, market demand and investor confidence to catch up.
