Davos 2026: Why this year's annual meeting is significant
What's the story
The World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos, Switzerland, officially began on Monday evening with a curtain-raising performance by the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, French violinist Renaud Capuçon, and Grammy winner Jon Batiste. Among the prominent attendees are United States President Donald Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The meeting will continue until January 23.
Attendees
High-profile attendees and key topics at Davos 2026
The meeting will also see participation from heads of international organizations like World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and World Bank Group President Ajay S Banga. This year's theme is "A Spirit of Dialogue," aiming to provide an impartial platform for leaders from government, business, and civil society to tackle shared challenges and drive innovation. The event will host around 3,000 leaders from over 130 countries, including nearly 400 political leaders and close to 850 CEOs.
Theme
Trump to address meeting
By far the most anticipated event of this year's World Economic Forum is President Trump's "special address" at 2:00pm local time on Wednesday. Though the specifics of Trump's speech remain under wraps, it's a safe bet that his tariff threats against European allies, his military intervention in Venezuela, and his long-held ambition to acquire Greenland will be prominent topics.
Pressure
Trump will address European leaders directly
The president is under pressure at home, grappling with concerns about affordability. Trump, hoping to counter this, plans to unveil "initiatives to drive down housing costs" and "tout his economic agenda that has propelled the United States to lead the world in economic growth," according to a White House official. That being said, Trump will also address European leaders directly. He will "emphasize that the US....Europe must leave behind economic stagnation and the policies that caused it," the official added.
Climate
Event to be held without its founder
This year's event will also be the first without WEF founder Klaus Schwab. The 87-year-old, who held the first Davos summit in 1971, resigned from the organization's board last year after whistleblowers accused Schwab and his wife, Hilde, of unauthorized spending. He officially denied the allegations, claiming that "throughout this journey, Hilde and I never used the forum for personal enrichment." Following an investigation by the Swiss law firm Homburger, the WEF's board of trustees cleared him of "material wrongdoing."
Agenda
Davos 2026 to address global challenges and opportunities
According to WEF, the agenda of Davos 2026 includes discussions on renewing cooperation amid contested norms and strained alliances. It will focus on navigating geopolitical risk, economic uncertainty and harnessing innovation for inclusive growth. Transformative technologies like generative AI will be included. The human dimensions of transformation will also be highlighted, with emphasis on investing in resilient workforces and improving well-being. Leaders will also examine how prosperity can be rebuilt within planetary boundaries, advancing secure energy, nature and water systems.