What happened at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2026 - DAVOS

 

The World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2026, held in Davos, Switzerland from January 19–23 under the theme "A Spirit of Dialogue", brought together record numbers of leaders—including over 60 heads of state/government, nearly 850 CEOs, and thousands from business, civil society, and academia—to address global challenges amid geopolitical fragmentation, technological shifts, and economic pressures.Key Highlights and Outcomes

• Record Attendance and Focus Areas: The event featured high-level discussions on deploying AI responsibly at scale, unlocking new growth sources in a low-expansion world, geoeconomic risks (highlighted as the top global risk in the WEF's Global Risks Report 2026, ahead of interstate conflict and extreme weather), innovation in biotech/energy, and initiatives like "Blue Davos" for water security. Sessions covered trade dilemmas, Saudi Vision 2030 lessons, economic resilience to shocks, and optimism around frontier technologies.
• Notable Addresses and Initiatives:
  • U.S. President Donald Trump's special address dominated coverage. He touted U.S. economic strength, criticized offshoring and Net Zero policies for creating dependencies (e.g., on Chinese batteries), defended tariffs as leverage for fair trade, ruled out force for acquiring Greenland (while pushing negotiations and questioning NATO burdens), and launched a "Board of Peace" initiative (joined by a limited group including Bahrain, Hungary, Saudi Arabia). Markets reacted positively to de-escalation on force/tariffs but showed unease over alliance strains.
  • Other leaders included Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto emphasizing peace and friendship, Argentine President Javier Milei critiquing socialism, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urging bolder European action on democracy threats, and French President Emmanuel Macron warning of a "world without rules" amid rising unilateralism.
  • Tech and business voices (e.g., Nvidia's Jensen Huang, BlackRock's Larry Fink) discussed AI, growth trade-offs, and optimism in innovation.

Positive AspectsOrganizers and participants described it as a vital platform for impartial dialogue in fractured times. It facilitated forward-looking talks on cooperation, prosperity-building, and public-private solutions. Some praised substantive progress on AI deployment, growth strategies, and multilateral resets (e.g., WTO relevance in "managed trade" era). Interim WEF co-chairs Larry Fink and André Hoffman highlighted reasons for optimism in rebuilding trust.Criticisms and ChallengesThe meeting faced significant backlash and tension:

• Trump's confrontational style (personal jabs, Greenland focus, tariff threats partially walked back) overshadowed much else, drawing gasps, awkward silences, tepid applause, and concerns over NATO health and transatlantic ties. Some attendees felt it amplified division rather than dialogue.
• Broader skepticism targeted perceived elite disconnect, hypocrisy on issues like private jet emissions amid climate talks, and the forum's relevance in a shifting order (e.g., U.S. protectionism clashing with traditional multilateralism).
• External protests accused the WEF of inequality and war profiteering, while some media framed it as a "last-chance saloon" for the old rules-based system amid rising confrontation.

Overall AssessmentDavos 2026 was neither a outright triumph nor total failure. It achieved high engagement and spotlighted critical issues like geoeconomic confrontation and innovation, with tangible discussions on growth and tech. However, geopolitical tensions—particularly U.S.-led shifts—created a polarized atmosphere, exposing fractures in global cooperation. As the event concluded on January 23, 2026, it underscored both the need for dialogue and the difficulties in achieving it in today's contested world.