World leaders from politics, business, academia, and civil society all gathered for the five-day event at Davos, Switzerland, on Monday for the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting.
The annual forum attempts to shape global agendas during a time of upheaval.
Donald Trump, the president of the United States, and other world leaders are scheduled to attend the annual gathering. His presence comes as the US’s relations with its European allies strained as a result of his threat to overtake Greenland, a Danish semi-autonomous territory, as governor.
What’s more about the WEF and what’s in store for the meeting are provided.
The WEF is what?
Geneva, Switzerland, is the home of the WEF, a think tank and event planner. Business executives convened at the first summit in Davos in 1971. However, its scope has grown over time, covering topics ranging from global cooperation to economic disparity, climate change, and technology.
In 2026, where will the WEF summit be held?
The conference center in Davos, a ski town in Switzerland known for its ski resort and population of about 10,000, will host the summit.
In the eastern Alps of Switzerland, Davos is situated at a height of about 1,500 meters (or nearly 5, 000 feet).
Since 1971, the WEF summit has taken place there every year in January.
When is Davos’ summit scheduled?
The annual meeting will end on January 23 and the main sessions will begin on January 19.
Every day at 9 am (08:00 GMT), sessions begin.
Who is supposed to attend and who is not?
Untold numbers of activists, journalists, and outside observers are expected to attend in addition to nearly 3, 000 high-level attendees from business, government, and beyond.
A record number of nearly 400 top political figures, including more than 60 heads of state and government, and about 850 chairpersons and chief executives from many of the world’s leading companies, are expected to attend, according to organizers.
Trump, who is scheduled to give a speech on Wednesday, as well as several cabinet ministers and top advisers, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
According to a report from Bloomberg News, Trump also wants to hold a meeting of his “Board of Peace” on Gaza.
Whose representatives are at the WEF summit include French President Emmanuel Macron, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Democratic Republic of the Congo President Felix Tshisekedi, Vice Premier He Lifeng of China, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The organization claims to have 11 central bank governors, 34 ministers for trade, commerce, and industry, and 55 ministers for economy and finance.
Jensen Huang of Nvidia, Satya Nadella from Microsoft, Demis Hassabis of Google DeepMind, and Arthur Mensch of Mistral AI from France are among the tech titans who are scheduled to attend.
Among the top officials from international organizations are Mark Rutte, the head of NATO, and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the head of the WTO.
Who won’t be there?
The summit’s organizers announced on Monday that Iran’s foreign minister would not be present, stressing that it would not be “right” in light of the recent deadly crackdown on protesters there. On Tuesday, Abbas Araghchi was scheduled to address.
The WEF reported on X that the Iranian Foreign Minister would not be attending Davos.
Although he was invited last fall, the Iranian government should not be represented at Davos this year, it continued. The tragic loss of lives for civilians in Iran over the past few weeks.
Israel has also been invited, as it is accused of carrying out a genocide in Gaza. Israel will be represented at the gathering by President Isaac Herzog.
Due to the severe flooding in his country, Mozambique’s President Daniel Chapo canceled his trip to Davos and will not be present. He stated late on Sunday on social media that “saving lives is the top priority right now.”
What’s on the schedule?
This year’s theme is “A Spirit of Dialogue.” A wide range of topics, including climate change and artificial intelligence, will be covered in more than 200 sessions.
According to Reuters news agency sources with knowledge of the situation, Trump is scheduled to meet with world business leaders on Wednesday.
After Trump’s address at the WEF’s annual meeting, business leaders, including CEOs in consulting, crypto, and financial services, are invited to a reception, according to sources who spoke to Reuters on Monday. The schedule was ambiguous.
What has changed this year?
This year, the geopolitical context has become incredibly complex: Trump’s pronouncements and policies on issues as diverse as Venezuela, Greenland, and Iran have altered the world order and raised questions about US involvement in the world.
Trump’s threat to impose new tariffs on his Greenland takeover bid has been dubbed “blackmail” by European Union leaders.
A hot topic has also emerged about the benefits and drawbacks of AI. Business leaders will consider how to use it to improve productivity and profits, labor advocates and advocacy groups will warn about the threat it poses to people’s livelihoods and jobs, and policymakers will examine how to navigate the best transition between regulation and the right to innovate.
The organizers of the Davos conference always use the term “A Spirit of Dialogue,” which centers on the themes of cooperation, growth, investment in people, innovation, and fostering prosperity. This year, the theme is “A Spirit of Dialogue.”
Source: Aljazeera
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