World Economic Forum 2026: Leaders gather in Davos for 56th annual meeting; Who are in attendance and who are not, theme, key issues and more

The World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2026 is being held in Davos, Switzerland, from January 19 to 23, 2026. Hosted by the WEF, the five-day summit brings together nearly 3,000 global leaders from over 130 countries. It is chaired by Borge Brende, President and CEO of the WEF, under the theme “A Spirit of Dialogue”.

The 2026 theme emphasizes dialogue over division amid rising geopolitical tensions, AI disruption, and climate crises. The forum aims to foster cooperation between governments, businesses, and civil society. With global trust eroding, WEF stresses that dialogue is no longer optional—it’s essential for progress on shared global challenges.

Key political figures include:US President Donald Trump (leading largest-ever US delegation). Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. French President Emmanuel Macron. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Canadian PM Mark Carney. China’s Vice-Premier He Lifeng. Over 65 heads of state/government and 400 top political leaders are present.

Business and tech titans include: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon. OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar. Meta President Dina Powell McCormick. Over 850 CEOs are participating, shaping discussions on AI, innovation, and future economies.

Notable absences: Danish government: Skipped due to Greenland dispute with the US. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi: WEF withdrew invitation after crackdown on protesters. Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez: Cancelled after a deadly train crash. Mozambique President Daniel Chapo: Floods forced cancellation. Xi Jinping, Lula (Brazil), PM Modi (India): Not attending; represented by ministers.

The forum focuses on five global challenges: Cooperation in a contested world (geopolitical fragmentation), Deploying AI responsibly at scale, Unlocking new sources of growth in a low-growth era, Investing better in people (jobs, skills, well-being), Building prosperity within planetary boundaries (climate, nature), Sessions also cover peace in Ukraine, Africa’s economic role, and India’s rise.

India is represented by Union Ministers (Commerce, Energy, Digital, External Affairs) and Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Madhya Pradesh. Corporate leaders like N. Chandrasekaran (Tata) and Sunil Bharti Mittal (Bharti) are present. Key focus areas: AI, digital infrastructure, clean energy, supply chain diversification, and positioning India as the third-largest economy.