World Economic Forum postpones Davos meeting over omicron fears

By Tuba Sahin

ANKARA (AA) - The World Economic Forum (WEF) announced on Monday its annual gathering in Davos, Switzerland will be postponed "in the light of continued uncertainty over the Omicron outbreak."

The global in-person meeting, scheduled to take place Jan. 17-21, is now planned for early summer, the organization said in a statement.

"Despite the meeting’s stringent health protocols, the transmissibility of Omicron and its impact on travel and mobility have made deferral necessary," it said.

The organizers said a series of online sessions – State of the World – will be held instead, “to focus on shaping solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges.”

“The deferral of the Annual Meeting will not prevent progress through continued digital convening of leaders from business, government and civil society,” said Prof. Klaus Schwab, the forum's founder and executive chairman. “Public-private cooperation has moved forward throughout the pandemic and that will continue apace. We look forward to bringing global leaders together in person soon.”

The meeting gathers leaders from business, government, international organizations, civil society and academia to address critical issues at the start of each year.

The forum’s 2021 edition, scheduled for summer in Singapore, was cancelled due to the pandemic.

The omicron variant of coronavirus has been detected in 89 countries and is spreading rapidly, according to the World Health Organization.

Many countries are re-imposing tougher measures to stem a new wave of infections during the forthcoming holiday season.