Azerbaijani president arrives in Switzerland for World Economic Forum PHOTO

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in the Swiss Confederation on January 19 to attend the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum.

President Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva were welcomed by official representatives at Zurich International Airport, Caliber.Az reports via state media. 

The 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) is being held January 19–23, 2026, in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland under the theme “A Spirit of Dialogue.” The World Economic Forum is a long-standing international non-profit organisation that promotes cooperation among government, business, civil society, and academic leaders to address pressing global challenges and shape future agendas.

This year’s gathering brings together close to 3,000 participants from more than 130 countries, including a record number of political leaders—with nearly 65 heads of state and government—as well as around 850 top CEOs, unicorn founders, and technology pioneers. The meeting also includes civil society representatives, labour groups, youth leaders, and cultural figures, reflecting the Forum’s emphasis on multi-stakeholder dialogue.

The agenda is shaped around several major global priorities:
• cooperation in a contested geopolitical environment,
• unlocking new sources of economic growth,
• responsible deployment of innovation and technology,
• investing in people’s skills and opportunities, and
• building prosperity within planetary boundaries—a focus on sustainable development and inclusive progress.

The annual meeting has become a pivotal forum for dialogue on issues such as geopolitical tensions, economic resilience, AI governance, climate risk, and global inequality. Leaders are expected to debate how to translate dialogue into actionable cooperation amid rising global fragmentation and rapid technological change.