The 2025 Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) takes place from 20-24 January in Davos, Switzerland. Here’s a look at what can be expected at this year’s meeting.
Davos is welcoming global leaders for the World Economic Forum 2025 this week with the meeting convening under the title Collaboration for the Intelligent Age. Discussions will span geo-economic uncertainty, AI, reimagining growth and safeguarding the planet, among other topics.
Some 3,000 leaders are expected to attend from over 130 countries. Around 350 governmental leaders, including 60 heads of states and government, from all key regions, will also be in the mountain resort.
“If the gulf between hopes and fears was in stark evidence last year, the context for Davos 2025 is no less conflicted. Geo-economic uncertainty, trade tensions, cultural polarisation, and climate anxiety are rumbling but there’s also the promise of rapid innovation – AI, quantum computing and biotech – to boost productivity and living standards,” a WEF press release noted.
Who’s coming to Davos 2025?
Participation is diverse – by sectors, industries, generations, and gender.
“This diversity is fundamental to the Forum’s approach to ensure that the most important issues in the world are discussed as widely as possible and solutions are designed with a diverse, cross-sectoral lens,” the WEF press release said.
Public figures
More than 350 governmental leaders are expected to participate this year, including 60 heads of state and government:
Top political leaders taking part include: Donald J. Trump, President-elect of the United States (who will join via live video link for an interactive dialogue with participants) – and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.
Ding Xuexiang, Vice-Premier of the People’s Republic of China; Javier Milei, President of Argentina; Olaf Scholz, Federal Chancellor of Germany; Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament; Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa and Pedro Sánchez, Prime Minister of Spain, will also be at the event.
Moreover, the meeting will welcome Karin Keller-Sutter, President of the Swiss Confederation 2025, Federal Councillor, Head of the Federal Department of Finance; Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia; Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan; Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh; Alexander De Croo, Prime Minister of Belgium; Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Mostafa Madbouli, Prime Minister of Egypt; Abdulatif Rashid, President of Iraq.
Simon Harris, Taoiseach of Ireland; Isaac Herzog, President of Israel; Prime Minister of the Netherlands; Mohammed Mustafa and Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority; Dina Ercilia Boluarte will also be attending, as well as Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine.
International organisations
Heads of international organisations taking part include: António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations; Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organisation; Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund and Mark Rutte, Secretary-General of NATO.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation and Achim Steiner, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, will also be in Davos.
Private sector and forum communities
Over 1,600 business leaders, including over 900 of the world’s top CEOs and Chairs from the World Economic Forum’s Members and Partners, will also participate, over 120 of which are Global Innovators, Tech Pioneers and Unicorns who are transforming industries.
“More than 170 leaders from civil society and the social sector – from labour unions, non-governmental organisations, religious and indigenous communities, as well as experts and heads of the world’s leading universities, research institutions and think tanks – will participate in the meeting,” the WEF also noted in a press release.
More than 160 members of the Forum’s communities, including the Unicorn and Technology Pioneers communities, the Community of Global Shapers, the Forum of Young Global Leaders and the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship will also attend to showcase local innovations and solutions to global challenges.
