Davos, Switzerland, hosts WEF’s annual meeting

Nearly 3,000 high-level participants from business, government and beyond are converging in Davos for the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting, bringing together organizers’ participants as well as “untold numbers of activists, journalists and outside observers,” the Associated Press reported.

The WEF is a think tank and event organizer based in Geneva, and its main annual meeting dates to 1971, when the first edition was hosted by forum founder Klaus Schwab and featured a gathering of business executives in Davos.

A meeting that has expanded beyond business

Organizers describe Davos as a ski-resort town of about 10,000 people at a height of about 1,500 meters (nearly 5,000 feet) in the Alps of eastern Switzerland.

Over time, the meeting has swelled into a catch-all conference on issues ranging from economic disparity and climate change to technology and global cooperation, along with competition and conflict. More than 200 sessions are planned to tackle a wide array of topics.

Who’s expected at this year’s gathering

Organizers say this year’s meeting will include a record of nearly 400 top political leaders, including more than 60 heads of state and government, and nearly 850 chairs and chief executives from many of the world’s leading companies.

U.S. President Donald Trump is headlining the lineup and is set to deliver a speech on Wednesday, alongside multiple Cabinet ministers and top advisers, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and special envoy Steve Witkoff.

Among other top attendees, President Emmanuel Macron of France and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are listed, along with President Ahmad al-Sharaa of Syria, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, President Felix Tshisekedi of Congo and Vice Premier He Lifeng of China. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine is also among those expected.

Organizers also say 55 ministers for economy and finance, 33 ministers for foreign affairs, 34 ministers for trade, commerce and industry, and 11 central bank governors are expected to attend.

Corporate and international leaders slated to appear

The tech portion of the schedule includes Jensen Huang of Nvidia, Microsoft’s Satya Nadella, Demis Hassabis of Google DeepMind, and Arthur Mensch of France’s Mistral AI.

International officials listed by organizers include NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, described as among scores of top officials from international institutions.

Geopolitical complexity and AI as central topics

AP described this year’s geopolitical context as incredibly complex, citing Trump’s pronouncements and policies on topics including Venezuela, Greenland and Iran, as well as his aggressive tariff policies, as factors that “have upended the world order” and raised questions about America’s role.

AI has also become a hot topic for the sessions, with business executives examining how to apply it to boost efficiency and profits, labor leaders and advocacy groups warning about threats to jobs and livelihoods, and policymakers working to navigate how regulation should balance with the right to innovate.

“A Spirit of Dialogue” and criticism of Davos

Davos conference organizers’ theme for this year is “A Spirit of Dialogue,” centered on five themes of cooperation, growth, investment in people, innovation and building prosperity.

Critics, AP said, argue Davos is too much talk and not enough action, including on issues such as gaping inequality and climate change.