More than 3,000 delegates from 130 countries will gather in Davos, Switzerland, from January 19 to 23 for the 56th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting. The summit brings together 64 heads of government and state, alongside 850 international CEOs, to discuss the stability of the global rules-based order.
Confirmed attendees include U.S. President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. While UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni have not yet confirmed their attendance, both are expected to participate.
Economic and geopolitical risks take center stage
The agenda focuses on five primary pillars: international cooperation in a contested world, unlocking new growth, investing in people, responsible innovation, and maintaining prosperity within planetary boundaries. These themes follow the release of the WEF’s annual global risks report, which surveyed 1,300 experts.
According to the report, geoeconomic confrontation—defined as economic conflicts between major powers—stands as the most significant risk facing the world over the next two years. The report also highlights how technological acceleration and environmental decline create secondary, long-term challenges.
Leaders from major international organizations, including UN Secretary-General António Guterres and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, will participate in the discussions. The European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, is also scheduled to attend.
The technology sector will have a heavy presence, with executives from NVIDIA, OpenAI, Anthropic, Amazon, Meta, and Google DeepMind confirmed to attend. The summit also includes nearly 100 technology pioneers and unicorn company leaders.
