The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting (Davos 2023), which kicks off in Switzerland on Monday evening with an awards ceremony, features a number of officials from Middle Eastern and North African countries, including the UAE, Saudi, and Qatar.
The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2023 convenes under the theme, Cooperation in a Fragmented World.
Davos 2023 will also host a variety of panel discussions and keynote speakers discussing issues such as trade, energy security, space opportunities, and climate action.
Major Attendees
Emirati ministers and officials in Davos include Thani Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, Hessa Buhumaid, UAE Minister of Community Development, Abdulla bin Touq, UAE Minister of Economy, DP World chairman, and chief executive Sultan bin Sulayem and Khaldoon Al Mubarak, managing director, and group chief executive of Mubadala Investment Company.
 Also among the attendees are Ohood Al Roumi, UAE Minister of State for Governmental Development and Future; Omar Al Olama, UAE minister of State for Digital Economy, Artificial Intelligence, and Remote Working Systems; and Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Public Education and Future Technology.
Moreover, a delegation from Saudi Arabia will be led in Davos by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan.
The Kingdom’s delegation includes Adel Al Jubeir, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Climate Affairs Envoy, Khalid Al Falih, Minister of Investment, and Mohammed Al Jadaan, Minister of Finance.
Qatar Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed Al Thani and Prince Faisal will also be among the attendees.
The event will also include a conversation with Pfizer Chief Executive Officer Albert Bourla at Davos, as well as a number of cultural events and performances. George Soros, billionaire, and founder of Soros Fund Management, will be among the many high-profile attendees at the event. Leaders from India will be present in large numbers.
Schedule
On Tuesday, Qatar Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed Al Thani and Prince Faisal will be discussing the nexus of energy and politics alongside the International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Kristalina Georgieva, US Senator Chris Coons, and Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto.
Tuesday’s discussion will feature Rania Al Mashat, the Egyptian minister of international cooperation, John Kerry, the US climate envoy, Mark Carney, the UN special envoy for climate action and finance, Badr Jafar, the CEO of Crescent Enterprises in the UAE, and Desmond Kuek, the CEO of Temasek Trust.
On Wednesday, Princess Reema, Mr. Al Jadaan, Mr. Alkhorayef, and Mr. AlSwaha will participate in a session titled “Saudi Arabia’s Transformation in a Changing Global Context.”
Read more: Davos discusses future prospects of the Saudi economy
A discussion about “what lessons learned could be deployed globally in the age of exponential change” will take place on Wednesday as part of the “Future by Design” conference, in which three UAE ministers will take part.
During the annual meeting, the COP 28 climate summit, which will be held in the UAE at the end of November, will be highlighted.
In addition, Aziz Akhannouch, the head of the Moroccan government, is scheduled to deliver a special speech later that day.
Also on Wednesday, a discussion on stability in the MENA region will be held with the participation of Prince Faisal of Saudi Arabia, Mohamad Al Ississ, Jordan’s Minister of Finance, Fuad Hussein of Iraq, UN envoy Hans Grundberg for Yemen, and Kajsa Ollongren of the Netherlands.
