|
Preetha Renganarayanan
25 January 2026 |
On 19–23 January 2026, the World Economic Forum’s 56th Annual Meeting was held in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, under the theme “A Spirit of Dialogue.” Nearly 3,000 participants from over 130 countries attended, including more than 60 heads of state and government, around 830 CEOs, and senior representatives from international organisations, academia, and civil society.
The Forum framed the meeting around five core questions: how to cooperate in a more contested world; unlock new sources of growth; invest in people; deploy innovation responsibly at scale; and build prosperity within planetary boundaries. Against a backdrop of geopolitical fragmentation, economic uncertainty, and technological shifts, Davos 2026 reflected what some view as shifting -and others as rupturing- global order, while making an effort to preserve dialogue.
The following are the five major takeaways from the summit.
1. The domination of geopolitical shifts and security concerns
Geopolitics dominated Davos 2026, with the focus on transatlantic strains over Greenland, tariff threats, Middle East stability, and broader security concerns. President Trump’s assertion of US claims over Greenland crossed a fundamental red line with Europe. Although Trump later stepped back in his address, European officials suggested that trust in Washington was significantly shaken. Ukraine initially received limited attention, but re-gained focus after Trump announced a Greenland framework deal and as President Zelenskiy arrived in Davos, followed by the trilateral talks (US-Ukraine-Russia) in Abu Dhabi. Overall, Trump's unpredictability once again stood as a key point of attention.
The summit also saw a larger debate over whether the global order is rupturing or changing. While PM Carney noted that the rules-based system had faded, global finance leaders from the European Central Bank, the WTO, and the IMF held the view that global order is changing rather than rupturing and stressed on countries to invest in resilience. These concerns were reflected in the findings of the Forum’s Global Risks Report 2026.
2. The reassertion of “Spirit of Davos” emphasising dialogue and cooperation
Despite geopolitical tensions, the Forum repeatedly highlighted dialogue as indispensable; it framed the gathering as reflecting the “spirit of Davos,” meaning openness and cooperation that have defined the Forum since its inception over 50 years ago. The WEF noted that Davos did not provide solutions but created space for engagement among highly polarized actors. Forum President Børge Brende called the meeting as one where dialogue was “not a luxury, but a necessity.” The scale of participation itself was framed as meaningful. For Middle powers, as can be observed in PM Carney’s speech, Davos created the space to assert relevance and reinforce the importance of dialogue.
3. New deals, tariffs, public debt and the call for “stability, predictability, and the rule of law”
At Davos 2026, economic discussions highlighted strong demand for predictability. According to news reports, President Trump’s tariff threats against Europe over Greenland raised questions among CEOs over the reliability of the US. "When you talk to CEOs today, what do they want? Stability, predictability, and the rule of law. I would say it's in short supply," said Canada’s finance minister. Such discussions added to arguments calling for countries to diversify away from an increasingly protectionist US.
At the same time, deal-making continued. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the EU and India were “on the cusp” of a historic free trade agreement. The UK also secured over USD 2 billion in private investment commitments. Public Debt and development aid came about as fault lines.
4. The rise of AI and Emerging technologies as important but double-edged growth spaces
AI discussions were a significant part of the Davos summit, both as a growth space and societal challenge, with Tech leaders such as Elon Musk and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang making appearances. Executives showed greater confidence than in late 2025, stating that while AI will disrupt jobs, it will also create new ones. The IMF Managing Director noted that AI could affect 40 per cent of global jobs and 60 per cent in advanced economies either through elimination or transformation. Whereas, union leaders expressed concerns over inequality and demanded regulatory measures.
5. Focus on Energy security, Comeback for big oil and concerns over planetary boundaries
Davos 2026 highlighted two realities: short-term energy security priorities and long-term environmental concerns. Big Oil companies felt a comeback at Davos following a year of President Trump’s policies, which paused wind energy projects and directed US firms to expand oil drilling at home and abroad. A shift welcomed by many oil executives. This was reinforced at Davos with the US Energy Secretary stating that global oil production must more than double to meet rising demand, criticising heavy spending on green energy by Europe and California. In contrast, planetary boundaries also remained a critical agenda point at Davos. A 2024 publication by the forum warned that seven of nine planetary boundaries (critical Earth systems such as climate stability and freshwater availability) have already been breached.
