FT: World Economic Forum eyes exit from Davos amid growth pains

Senior executives at the World Economic Forum (WEF) are privately considering whether the organization’s flagship annual meeting should be relocated from its long-standing Alpine venue in Davos, Switzerland. The deliberations reflect concerns that the event has outgrown its traditional setting, both logistically and strategically, Financial Times reports.

Larry Fink, BlackRock chair and interim co-chair of the WEF’s governing board, has discussed options including permanently moving the summit or hosting it on a rotational basis. Potential alternative locations mentioned in internal conversations include Detroit and Dublin.

Fink has emphasized a desire to reshape the forum, long criticized for its elitism, by expanding engagement beyond political and business leaders. “The WEF should start doing something new: showing up — and listening — in the places where the modern world is actually built,” he wrote in a blog post. “Davos, yes. But also places like Detroit and Dublin — and cities like Jakarta and Buenos Aires.”

While WEF leadership continues to affirm Davos as the event’s spiritual and practical home, officials have acknowledged increasing challenges. “It has outgrown its capacity,” said a senior executive, describing a three-and-a-half-hour wait to enter the small ski village for this week’s summit. Accommodation shortages, high security costs, and limited infrastructure have become pressing issues, particularly as record attendance is reported for the 2026 gathering.

The five-day summit now attracts tens of thousands of participants, including heads of state, corporate executives, and civil society leaders, alongside the informal “houses” hosted by governments, companies, and lobbying groups along Davos’ promenade. “It has become a victim of its own success,” one insider said.

US President Donald Trump’s attendance on January 21 is expected to further complicate logistics. At the same time, WEF officials stress the importance of maintaining strong ties to Switzerland, with many senior executives preferring the forum remain in Europe.

The location debate coincides with a period of leadership transition. Fink and Roche vice-chair André Hoffmann assumed interim chairs of the WEF’s governing board in August, following the resignation of founder Klaus Schwab in April amid whistleblower allegations. A subsequent investigation cleared Schwab of misconduct, although it noted some procedural irregularities.

Relocating the forum is not unprecedented: Schwab previously considered moving the WEF headquarters to Dubai. Officially, the organization continues to support Davos, citing its historical significance and economic benefits for Switzerland, including tourism revenue and investment. “The Swiss would be very against a relocation: that will create hurdles,” a WEF official said, adding that any move “is not definite.”

BlackRock and the WEF declined to comment on the ongoing discussions.

By  Vafa Guliyeva