Nearly 3,000 high-level participants from business, government and beyond — plus untold numbers of activists, journalists and outside observers — are converging in the Swiss town of Davos this week for the World Economic Forum's annual meeting.

What is the World Economic Forum?
The forum is a think tank and event organizer based in Geneva whose main event — the annual meeting — debuted in 1971 in Davos, 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.

The first edition, hosted by forum founder Klaus Schwab, featured a gathering of business executives.

Since then, the meeting has swelled into a catch-all conference on issues as diverse as economic disparity, climate change, technology, and global cooperation — as well as competition and conflict.

This year's event runs from Jan. 19-23.

What is the theme at this year's Davos forum?
Davos conference organizers always trot out buzzwords for the meeting, and this year's is "A Spirit of Dialogue" — around five themes of cooperation, growth, investment in people, innovation and building prosperity. More than 200 sessions will tackle a wide array of issues.

Critics say Davos is too much talk and not enough action to rectify gaping inequality in the world and address troubles like climate change.

The world's richest people saw their fortunes surge in 2025, part of a long-running trend of widening wealth inequality, according to a new report from anti-poverty charity Oxfam released to coincide with the forum. The wealth of billionaires grew three times faster last year than the average pace of the previous five years, reaching a record $18.3 trillion, the group said.

At the same time, one in four people worldwide experiences food insecurity and regularly skips meals, Oxfam said.

"The widening gap between the rich and the rest is at the same time creating a political deficit that is highly dangerous and unsustainable," said Oxfam executive director Amitabh Behar in a statement.

Who will attend in 2026?
Organizers says a record of nearly 400 top political leaders, including more than 60 heads of state and government, and nearly 850 chairs and chief executives of many of the world's leading companies.

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

President Emmanuel Macron of France, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, President Ahmad al-Sharaa of Syria, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, President Felix Tshisekedi of Congo, Vice Premier He Lifeng of China, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine are among the who's-who of top attendees.

Organizers 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 also expected.

Tech titans scheduled to be on hand include Jensen Huang of Nvidia. Microsoft's Satya Nadella, Demis Hassabis of Google DeepMind, and Arthur Mensch of France's Mistral AI.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala are among scores of top officials from international institutions.

What other issues are at stake?
The geopolitical context has become incredibly complex this year: Trump's pronouncements and policies on subjects as diverse as Venezuela, Greenland and Iran — not to mention his tariff policies — have raised questions about America's role in the world.

The advent of AI — its promise and perils — has also become a hot topic. Business executives will examine how to apply it to boost efficiency and profits; labor leaders and advocacy groups will warn of its threat to jobs and livelihoods, and policymakers will look to navigate the best way forward between regulation and right to innovate.

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