World Economic Forum Opens With Record Leader Turnout as Trump Set to Attend Davos

World leaders head to Davos, Switzerland, for high-stakes talks as AI investment fuels optimism but geopolitical tensions darken the mood.
World Economic Forum Opens With Record Leader Turnout as Trump Set to Attend Davos
A man installs a microphone for the opening concert of the annual meeting of the World Economy Forum at the Congress Center in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 18, 2026. Markus Schreiber/AP Photo
Tom Ozimek
Tom Ozimek
Reporter
|Updated:
0:00

The Swiss alpine town of Davos opened its doors to the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) 56th Annual Meeting on Jan. 19, with a steady stream of business and political leaders arriving for a week of closed-door talks and high-profile panel sessions set against intensifying geopolitical strains and a shifting global economic outlook.

Organizers say this year’s meeting, running through Jan. 23 under the theme “A Spirit of Dialogue,” is among the most senior gatherings in the forum’s history, featuring a record roster of political leaders alongside top executives and investors.
Tom Ozimek
Tom Ozimek
Reporter
Tom Ozimek is a senior reporter for The Epoch Times. He has a broad background in journalism, deposit insurance, marketing and communications, and adult education.
twitter