Approved by the People's Government of Inner Mongolia autonomous region in March 2001, Dalad Economic Development Zone is one of the 18 key economic development zones in Ordos. Under the guidance of the management and Party working committee, the development zone has eight functional organizations with expenses paid through a self-supporting financial management system.

Covering an area of 91.12 square kilometers, the development zone also has jurisdiction over Dalad Power Plant – Elion Industrial Park and Sanshangliang Industrial Park. The Dalad – Elion Park has formed a circular industrial development framework with an area of 12 square kilometers. The Sanshangliang Park, covering an area of 79.12 square kilometers, is the core area of the development zone with an accumulative construction investment of 4 billion yuan ($580.1 million). With completed supporting facilities on water, electricity, road, gas, communication, fire control and environmental protection, the construction of a railway logistic park is underway.

The development zone focuses on coal-power-aluminum, chemical engineering (the coal chemical industry, chlor-alkali chemical industry and biological industry), building materials (prioritizing architectural ceramics, concrete and polyvinyl chloride materials), high and new technology (including sapphire, silicon carbide crystalline materials, polyphenylene sulfide and other high molecular materials) and the modern logistics industry.

Up to now, with 61 projects completed and 19 projects under construction, the development zone has initially formed a leading industry on coal-power-aluminum, chemical engineering, construction materials and high and new technology materials.

Coal-power-aluminum industry: a total power capacity of 4.135 million kilowatt, 800,000 tons aluminum oxide and 42,000 tons high purity aluminum has been achieved. Projects of 450,000 tons of aluminum smelting and 60,000 tons of electronic aluminum foil are under construction. The fifth phase of the Dalad Power Plant has also been planned in reference to two one-million-kilowatt generator units and aluminum deep processing.

Chemical engineering industry: development for the coal chemical industry, chlor-alkali chemical industry and biological industry will be prioritized. A capacity of 1.5 million tons of methyl alcohol, 500,000 tons PVC, 450,000 tons caustic soda and 48,000 tons xanthan gum has so far been achieved, with a project to hold 200,000 tons of natural gasoline currently under construction. A 900,000 tons of coal methanol to aromatics or light hydrocarbon project has also been planned.

Construction material industry: prioritizes development of ceramics, PVC intensive processing and concrete. It has accomplished eight ceramics production lines and a 350,000 ton deep processing capacity for PVC and 3.2 million concrete. As one of the two key ceramics industry bases promoted by the autonomous region, the development zone has 32 ceramics production lines under construction, and will boost architectural ceramics industry.

High-tech material industry: focuses on sapphire, high molecular materials and cloud computing industry. So far it has completed 600 sapphire single crystal furnaces, and achieved capacity for 10,000 tons polyphenylene sulfide and 300,000 cloud computing servers. A project  for 100,000 tons of silicon carbide crystalline materials is under construction.

In 2015, the development zone attained a gross industrial output value above the designated size of 34.3 billion yuan, an 8 percent growth year-on-year. Its finished fixed-asset investment stood at 7.52 billion yuan, with 4.5 percent growth year-on-year, and achieved taxation of 1.53 billion yuan.

Since its establishment, the development zone has been selected as a top ten Inner Mongolia industrial development zone, one of the 22 key development zones along the Yellow River and transportation routes, and a high-level talent innovative and venture base.