Approximately 3,000 leaders from more than 130 countries are meeting in the Swiss Alps for the annual World Economic Forum meeting. The five-decade-old event is held in the Alpine town of Davos in Switzerland and brings together business and government leaders to discuss some of the biggest issues facing the world.
The meeting returns in 2026 with its usual format of a week-long winter summit. This year’s World Economic Forum Annual Meeting started on Monday, Jan. 19 and will run through Friday, Jan. 23.
Incredible… the story is actually not a parody.
just had confirmed live on BBC Breakfast, from here in Davos, that yes, President Trump sent THAT note to the Norwegian PM saying that because they hadn’t given the Nobel Peace Prize, he could now justify owning Greenland. https://t.co/NKIMrcdw6p pic.twitter.com/PgeJtKFORb
— Faisal Islam (@faisalislam) January 19, 2026
The organization’s website states that the themes of this year’s gathering are the following:
What to expect at Davos 2026
- Explore how cooperation can be renewed
- Navigate geopolitical risk
- Spotlight how governments and businesses can better invest in people
- Examine how prosperity can be rebuilt
What is the World Economic Forum?
Founded in 1971 by Swiss-German economist Klaus Schwab, the World Economic Forum (WEF) was an attempt to build global cooperation to deal with the biggest issues of the day.
The WEF is a rare example of both public and private sectors being brought together in a bid to find a common solution, and attendees come from all around the world. Issues in question can be related to political, social, and economic concerns and the purpose, expressed in the organization’s mission statement, is: “Committed to improving the state of the world”.
Leaders from across government, business and civil society are gathering in #Davos for the Annual Meeting.
Our live blog brings you real-time coverage alongside the essential context: key pre-reads, early media signals and the highlights you need to know before the main… pic.twitter.com/sdkmltJfTo
— World Economic Forum (@wef) January 19, 2026
Who will be at Davos this year?
Some of the most recognizable figures on the planet, from politicians to musicians, have attended the meeting in recent years. The likes of Donald Trump, Mark Carney, Javier Milei, Gustavo Petro and Micheal Martin amongst others will be attending.
Participating in this year’s forum are also Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ursula von der Leyen, he Lifeng, Pedro Sánchez and Bart De Wever.
The U.S. government’s recent attack on Venezuela and threat to take over Greenland will definitely be discussed amongst world leaders participating in the forum. Leaders will also have a chance to talk to Donald Trump about his plans on tariffs.
Leaders from across government, business and civil society are gathering in #Davos for the Annual Meeting.
Our live blog brings you real-time coverage alongside the essential context: key pre-reads, early media signals and the highlights you need to know before the main… pic.twitter.com/sdkmltJfTo
— World Economic Forum (@wef) January 19, 2026
Why is it held in Davos?
Davos is a small Alpine town and ski resort, home to a permanent population of little more than 10,000 people. It was the location of very first WEF meeting back in 1971 and the word ‘Davos’ has become synonymous with the event.
It is one of the most exclusive skiing areas in the world and its status as a high-end resort has raised some questions about its appropriateness as a venue for important change. Once a year Davos successfully brings together the influential elites that have the power to make a positive change in the world, but it has been criticized as a glitzy getaway masquerading as a meeting.
A giant carbon footprint for talks on the climate crisis
In 2022, for example, more than a thousand planes flew in and out of airports near Davos in during the days of the meeting. It is estimated that private jet emissions quadrupled during the period as a result of Davos travel. This, at a summit where attendees discussed the dangers of climate change.
Speaking to The Guardian, Klara Maria Schenk, a member of the Greenpeace European mobility campaign, said: “The rich and powerful are swarming to Davos to discuss climate and inequality behind closed doors, using the most unequal and polluting form of transport: private jets.
In 2023, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg said it was “absurd” that “the people who are mostly fueling the destruction of the planet” continue to get an audience at Davos, instead of people who are fighting the environmental crisis on the ground.
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