Corporate executives and government leaders are arriving in Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum’s four-day annual meeting, which begins Tuesday. U.S. President Donald Trump is set to attend, joining a broad mix of business and political figures as organizers frame the gathering around dialogue amid widening global tensions.
The World Economic Forum says its motto is “improving the state of the world,” and this year’s theme is “A spirit of dialogue.” Organizers are also emphasizing the moment’s uncertainty, with the programming director for the forum saying geopolitics is changing and that “it’s really going to be a discussion at a very important moment … geopolitics is changing,” while describing “a more competitive, more contested landscape.”
Nearly 3,000 attendees from interlinked worlds of business, advocacy and policy are expected to tackle issues including the growing gap between rich and poor, AI’s impact on jobs, concerns about geo-economic conflict, and tariffs that have disrupted trade relationships. The forum’s agenda also includes the erosion of trust between communities and countries, according to the themes described for the meeting.
Trump’s appearance is also set against tensions with multiple governments and markets, the AP reported, including concerns among allies about his ambitions and his administration’s approach to other international issues. The AP also said Trump’s peace-making credentials will be on the table, with an announcement expected about a “Board of Peace” for Gaza, and that Trump and his administration are expected to hold bilateral meetings in side rooms at the Congress Center.
The meeting’s lineup on the first day places major non-U.S. actors in prominent roles, with European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen scheduled to speak Tuesday morning, immediately before China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng. Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, was set to speak but his appearance was cancelled after organizers said “the tragic loss of civilian lives” means “it is not right” for the government to be represented.
The AP said the forum’s founder, Klaus Schwab, will not attend after stepping down in April, and that Larry Fink and Andre Hoffman are co-chairs for the event. It also said Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, is making a debut appearance, among “some 850 CEOs and chairs of global companies,” with additional high-profile attendees including actor and safe-water advocate Matt Damon.
Beyond the program, public debate around the event and its influence is expected to remain a parallel storyline. Edelman’s annual trust barometer, launched a quarter-century ago and based on a survey of nearly 34,000 people in 28 countries, reported trade and recession fears rising to an all-time high and optimism falling especially in developed countries, according to the AP account.
Richard Edelman, CEO of Edelman, said in connection with the survey that “People are retreating from dialogue and compromise, choosing the safety of the familiar over the perceived risk of change,” and added that “Our mentality has shifted from ‘we’ to ‘me’.” The AP said the survey also found that about two-thirds of respondents said their trust was concentrated toward CEOs they work for or fellow citizens and neighbors, while nearly 70% believed institutional leaders deliberately mislead the public.
Oxfam has also highlighted wealth and inequality concerns ahead of the meeting. The AP reported that Oxfam said billionaire wealth rose by more than 16% last year to more than $18 trillion, and that Oxfam estimated the $2.5 trillion increase in billionaire wealth would be enough to eradicate extreme poverty 26 times over. Oxfam also said billionaire wealth has risen by more than four-fifths since 2020 while nearly half of the world’s population lives in poverty, and it described the Trump administration as leading a “pro-billionaire agenda” through actions that include slashing taxes for the wealthiest and fostering the growth of AI-related stocks.
Oxfam urged what it described as national efforts to reduce inequality, higher taxes on the ultra-rich, and greater limits on their ability to shape policy through lobbying. With such concerns feeding into policymakers’ discussions, the AP said Trump is expected to address housing and affordability in his Davos speech on Wednesday, with a delegation larger than in prior years, according to the report.
Protests and demonstrations were also present ahead of the meeting, the AP said. Hundreds of marchers moved through the area near Davos over the weekend, including a banner reading “No Profit from War” and a truck sign reading “World Economic Failure.” Mirjam Hostetmann, president of Switzerland’s Young Socialists, said “It is worrying how Swiss politicians are courting warmongers and their profiteers in Davos,” and added, “The WEF will never bring peace, but will only fuel escalation.”
In the same area, companies and governments used the event week for visibility and outreach, with the AP reporting that organizations including Microsoft, Tata Consultancy, TikTok and CrowdStrike joined governments from countries such as Nigeria, Qatar, Ukraine and the United States on the Davos Promenade. The AP also said Davos storekeepers rent out premises so that forum participants can have prime real estate for the week, reflecting the broader tensions between the meetings’ messaging and the criticism that the event mainly serves those already positioned to profit.